“Mine.”
His forehead drops against my shoulder, and my hand finds his on my stomach. Stroking his hair while he recovers, I stare at us, finally together in every way. In the mirror, the mark on my neck is vivid, red and raised, but it’s already beginning to change at the edges as the sting starts fading away.
Beau’s eyes find it in the glass, and his grip on me tightens. “That looks good on you.”
He eases out of me gently and lowers me onto the bed, and what follows is the opposite of what just happened.
Slowly, carefully, his mouth traces every inch of me, pressing kisses to my stomach, the mark on my neck, the insides of my wrists. His hands smooth across my skin, gentle where they were rough minutes ago. He pulls the duvet over us and wraps himself around me, his chest against my back, his hand on my stomach, his mouth resting against the fresh mark as exhaustion tugs at me, threatening to pull me under.
"Stay there." He kisses the mark and climbs out of bed, pulling on his boxers, and a few seconds later, water starts running in the bathroom down the hall, the smell of a bubble bath drifting to me.
Lying in the dim light, my hand goes to the mark on my neck. The skin is tender and raised, but just brushing against it sends a jolt of desire between my aching thighs. Through the bond, his contentment touches me as he moves through my house, settled and calm in a way he hasn't been since I've known him.
He comes back and leans in the doorway, one shoulder against the frame, taking me in with a sexy smile on his rugged face. His dark hair is messy, his broad muscular chest is bare, and just the sight of him has my pulse kicking up all over again.
"No, none of that. You need to rest. Bath's running."
I push up on one elbow and give him an apologetic smile. "I can’t help it. You look good in my house, Beau."
His mouth curves, and through the bond, I feel his joy and adoration. He’s so happy. And he really wants this, me, our future. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. In fact, if you’re going to run baths for me and spoil me, maybe I should keep you around."
“Is that so?” He crosses the room and kisses me, so much emotion pouring from him into me through this bond that tears prick my eyes. “Well, good, because I love you too. So spoiling you is exactly what I plan to do. And you’re officially mine now, so you don’t have much choice about it.”
35
BEAU
We spent yesterday at the cabin with Amber and Zara. Lisa brought food, clothes, toiletries, and everything else she could think of that a woman who's been locked away for months might need. I assured her that Ben and Zara would have it covered, but Lisa, and rightly so, guessed that Zara wouldn’t have left Amber’s side, and Ben couldn’t be trusted to think of everything.
Amber pounced on the expensive shampoos, cleansers and moisturisers that Lisa produced, and ate two plates of Zara's pasta before falling asleep on the couch with her head in her sister's lap.
I didn’t think much of it, other than wondering why Ben had let her get so ravenous, until Lisa pointed out she probably wasn’t hungry, she’d just gotten used to not knowing what or when her next meal might be.
She's doing okay. Not good, certainly not recovered, but okay. There’s more colour in her face, and she’s managed a proper conversation with Lisa about the case, about needing to come in and make a full statement about what happened when she’s ready.
Lisa handled it with the same steady professionalism she brings to everything, and my bear sat quietly inside me the whole time, content just to watch his mate take care of someone who needed her.
Today is just for us though, and finally, I'm taking Lisa to clan territory and into the woods to meet my bear.
She's been demanding it for days now, so I thought I’d surprise her, but she’s quiet in the truck as we turn off the main road and onto the gravel track that leads into Lennox land. Suddenly, I’m doubting my decision to mark her before showing her this side of me, but selfishly, I decide that no matter what, the bond will keep us together.
At least this way, she’ll sense me, know that I’m the same person, and that I mean her no harm.
The trees close in on either side, tall pines that block out most of the morning light, and the further we drive, the more my bear pushes to the surface.
"Where are we going?" Lisa's hand is resting on my thigh, her thumb tracing absent circles. The mating mark is visible above the collar of her jacket, and every time my eyes catch it, I smile.
"Our territory runs from the ridge down to the river. Safest place for what I'm about to do. There won’t be any unexpected interruptions."
Hikers. Hunters. Anyone at all, really, who might see a woman and a giant grizzly bear together and grow… concerned.
Her thumb stops on my thigh, and she snaps her head around to face me. "Really? You’re going to shift for me? Now?"
"Well, you said you wanted to see my bear,” I say simply.
She immediately bounces in her seat, hands clasped together, face lighting up in a giant grin. “Oh… my… god.”
