“You feel incredible,” he murmured, his hands on her hips.
Tessa answered by pushing back against him, and Matt took the cue. He began to move, establishing a rhythm that had them both gasping. Each thrust drove him deeper, claiming her body just as she had claimed his heart.
The table creaked beneath them as Matt’s pace increased, driven by the encouraging sounds falling from Tessa’s lips. She met him stroke for stroke, her body accepting him completely, drawing him ever deeper.
When he felt his release approaching too quickly, Matt forced himself to slow down, his movements becoming more deliberate, more controlled. Tessa whimpered in protest, begging him for more, for harder, for faster.
“Not yet,” he whispered, leaning over to kiss her shoulder.
Matt reached around her body, his fingers finding her center again. He stroked her in time with his now-gentle thrusts, building her toward another peak. When he felt her beginning to tighten around him, he increased his pace once more, driving into her with renewed purpose.
They came together in a rush of sensation—Tessa crying out his name as her inner muscles clamped down on him, Matt groaning deeply as he emptied his seed inside her, his free hand tweaking her nipples to extend her pleasure.
For a long moment, they stayed connected, both breathing hard, bodies slick with sweat. Matt pressed tender kisses along Tessa’s spine, not wanting this moment to end.
When he finally withdrew, Tessa turned in his arms, her face flushed and beautiful. She looked up at him with such tenderness that Matt felt his heart might burst from the fullness of his feelings.
“That was...” she began, then laughed softly. “I don’t even have words.”
“I know,” Matt agreed, brushing his lips across her cheek. “For me, too.”
He gathered her against his chest, savoring the feel of her skin against his. His bear rumbled contentedly inside him, satisfied in a way that went beyond physical pleasure. Their mate was here, in their arms, accepting them completely. Nothing had ever felt so right.
“Stay with me tonight,” Matt whispered against her hair. It wasn’t a demand, but a heartfelt request.
Tessa tilted her face up to his, her eyes clear and certain. “I’d like that.”
Matt scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest as he carried her toward the bedroom. This was just thebeginning, he thought as he lay her gently on his bed. The first night of many. The first step on a path they would walk together.
As he stretched out beside her, pulling the covers over their cooling bodies, Matt felt a peace he’d never known before. His bear settled contentedly inside him, and for the first time in his life, Matt felt truly whole.
Chapter Nineteen – Tessa
Tessa stared at the ceiling as the first light of dawn crept through the window. Her mind replayed last night’s magical revelation in vivid detail—the crackling air, the shimmering space where Matt had stood, and then... the bear. Massive and powerful, yet with those same intelligent eyes that watched her now.
She turned her head, studying Matt’s profile in the soft morning light. His dark hair was tousled from sleep, his beard slightly wilder than usual. How had she not seen the wildness in him before? It seemed so obvious now.
The memory of her initial fear flickered through her—that instinctive human reaction to something impossible—but it had vanished almost immediately. Something deeper than rational thought had recognized him, had known she was safe. The bear was Matt, and Matt would never hurt her.
A smile tugged at her lips. She had touched a bear last night. Had buried her fingers in its fur, had kissed its forehead. Had watched it transform back into the man now lying beside her. If that miracle was possible—if shapeshifters walked among humans undetected—what other wonders might exist in this world, she thought she understood?
Matt’s mouth twitched slightly, breaking her reverie. His breathing had changed, becoming more deliberate. He wasn’t asleep at all.
Tessa leaned over and pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth. “Morning,” she whispered.
His eyes cracked open, warm brown and crinkled at the edges. “Morning,” he rumbled, his voice rough with sleep.
In one fluid motion, Matt slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest. The sudden movement drew a small yelp from her throat.
“And what a morning it is,” he murmured against her hair.
Tessa chuckled, nestling closer to his warmth. “I have never slept with a man on a first date.”
His lips found her neck, moving with sensuous purpose. “You have never had a first date with a man like me.”
The vibration of his words against her skin sent delicious shivers down her spine. She ran her palm over his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart beneath her fingertips. “True,” she agreed. “You are the first man who has turned from man to bear right before my eyes.”
His laughter rumbled through her. “And what about the rest of the evening? Was it as impressive as the bear reveal?”
