“Matt.” She stood on tiptoes, her fingers still playing with the hair at the nape of his neck as she pressed her lips to his.
He groaned and pulled her closer. She could feel the press of his arousal against her thigh. Tessa leaned into him, inching her body up and down as she teased him. The friction sent sparks of pleasure through her core, making her gasp against his mouth.
Their kiss deepened, and Matt ran his tongue along her lower lip. She shivered, her entire body responding to his touch. Then her breath caught as he cupped her breast in his hand and teased the nipple with his thumb in small swirls. Her knees went weak, and she clung to him, fingers digging into his shoulders.
She needed him to touch her everywhere, to stroke her heated skin and make love to her until she couldn’t remember her own name. The desire was overwhelming, consuming her thoughtsuntil nothing existed but Matt and the fire he was stoking inside her.
But then the kiss broke. Matt took a step back, his breathing ragged, his eyes dark with want, yet somehow troubled. Tessa’s stomach dropped, cold reality washing over her heated skin. Had she misread everything? Pushed too hard, too fast?
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around herself, suddenly feeling exposed despite being fully clothed.
“No,” Matt said, his tone ragged with restraint. “I want you. I need you.” He swallowed hard. “But there’s something I need to show you first.”
He took her hand and pulled her gently toward him. “Will you come outside with me?”
The question hung there between them, and Tessa felt confusion replace desire. What could be so important that he would rather take her outside than take her to bed? Or maybe... maybe he wanted to make love to her outside under the stars? The thought sent a new thrill through her body. It was kind of romantic.
“Okay,” she said, curiosity winning over disappointment.
Matt gave her a weak smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and Tessa was suddenly certain that making love outside wasnotpart of his plan. But she needed to know if she had gotten this wrong, needed to know what he wanted to show her, and couldn’t wait.
Matt squeezed her hand, a small comfort that didn’t dispel her doubts. He led her to the kitchen door, and she shivered as they stepped outside into the cool night air.
“My jacket,” he said, reaching behind her to grab something from a hook. As he leaned close, she felt the heat of his body and pressed closer, her lips finding his collarbone.
He groaned and lowered his head, kissing her forcefully once more. Her insides turned to liquid fire, but the kiss didn’t break his resolve. When he finally pulled away, he wrapped his jacket around her shoulders.
It smelled of him—pine and spice and something uniquely Matt—and she inhaled deeply, pulling it closer as he led her across the damp grass. The scent of sweet roses offered her comfort in the darkness.
But then Matt stepped away from her, creating distance between them. “Stay there,” he said. “And trust me, please.”
Tessa trembled, but nodded. She’d come too far to run now. And she did trust him. She might not have known him long, but she knew in her soul he would never hurt her.
He stared at her for a moment, and she read fear in his eyes. Then the air around him crackled and popped like static electricity. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared.
She held her breath, unsure of what was happening. Then the air shimmered, and in place of the man stood a massive brown bear.
Tessa froze, her mind struggling to process what her eyes were seeing. The bear—Matt?—huffed softly, its dark eyes watching her with unmistakable intelligence.
She should be terrified. Every instinct should be screaming at her to run. But instead, she felt drawn to him, and she stepped forward, hand outstretched. The bear moved toward her, too, each step careful and precise.
“Matt?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Is that really you?”
The bear nodded, the gesture so human it sent a shock through her system. This was impossible. And yet, here hewas, standing before her, transformed into something wild and powerful.
Her fingertips made contact with the coarse fur of his head, and she gasped at the sensation. Warm. Real. Alive. Not a hallucination or a dream.
“How?” The question tumbled from her lips as she stroked the side of his face, marveling at the softness of his fur, the warmth of him beneath her palm.
The bear—Matt—leaned into her touch, his eyes closing briefly in what seemed like relief. Then he stepped back, and once again the air crackled and shimmered. In an instant, the bear was gone, and Matt stood before her, fully clothed as if nothing had happened.But something had happened. Something monumental.
“I’m a shifter,” he said simply, his voice rough with emotion. “Bear shifter. It’s... It’s what I am. Who I am.”
Tessa stared at him, her mind racing to catch up. “A shifter,” she repeated, testing the word on her tongue. “Like... werewolves, but bears?”
“Not quite the same. We aren’t ruled by the moon. We shift at will,” Matt replied, his shoulders tense. “It’s hereditary.”
“That’s incredible,” Tessa frowned; it almost felt as if her eyes had deceived her. “And unbelievable. But it’s real.”
