Bearly Mated (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) by Juliette Lucas

say anything. Promise me.”
    Emmy frowned. “All right. I promise not to say anything until I believe your life is in danger, and Annie plans to turn you over to Patrick’s enemies.”
    Lizzie gave a dry chuckle. “That’s good enough.”
     

Chapter Ten
     
    “It’s not you. It’s me, Patrick. I just need some air, okay?”
    Lizzie started to turn away, but Patrick crowded her in. She took a step back and bumped the refrigerator. His arm came up to block her escape, and he pressed a palm to the cold, hard surface behind her. The stubborn man followed this challenging move with his hard body and stole her ability to suck in a breath. He wasn’t playing fair.
    “You’ve been trying to pick a fight with me all day, Lizzie.” His voice cast low, he moved in closer. Their bodies weren’t touching yet, but they might as well be. She was starkly aware of him on every level. Blood rushed through her ears, and Patrick looked down with her as her chest rose and fell on each shallow breath she drew in. To her extreme annoyance, her nipples tightened, defined through the too thin material of her blouse. Patrick had been telling her not to wear a bra, and she had been ignoring him, but even the stiffest material refused to keep her nipples from straining to get to his palms.
    Patrick leaned down and cut his gaze up toward hers as he brushed a bud with closed lips. Lizzie squeezed her thighs tighter together. If he thought she was turned on, he wouldn’t believe she was pissed at him.
    “It-it’s hardly been all day since you’ve been gone most of it,” she quipped.
    “Is that it then? You feel neglected?”
    “No!” She licked her lips. “I mean…”
    This wasn’t working out at all. She didn’t want to fight with him. She wanted to ride his cock until her pussy was sore and her thighs trembled, but that wouldn’t get her to the meeting she had arranged to go to. Annie would meet her in an hour, and she hadn’t managed to shake Patrick off.
    “I would believe you weren’t in the mood if this didn’t happen whenever I’m around you,” he said, nodding to her nipples. “And that.” He indicated her pussy but didn’t touch, which made it worse. Damn him, her panties were soaked, and of course, he knew it. He was right. She did get hot every time he entered the room. When he walked through the door earlier that day, she’d done all she could not to jump on him. Since their first time together, her desire for him had multiplied, and to try to resist now was ludicrous. What she wanted to do was snatch her panties off and bend over the table. Better yet, he could just thrust—
    Stop, Lizzie!
    She shut her eyes and turned her face away from him.
    “Lizzie, do you want me to go away?”
    She said nothing because “no” refused to form on her lips.
    “Lizzie.” His voice sounded near her throat, but again, he didn’t make contact. Her body burned for the smallest touch. “Do you want me to eat your pussy?”
    “Don’t talk like that.”
    “Take off your panties.”
    She looked at him. He’d backed off. She debated between running into the hall and out the front door and staying where she was. Patrick folded his arms, and she read the clear challenge in his eyes. He wanted her to run! The bastard actually wanted to chase her. How did she fight against a man who could make her crave him so much without speaking or touching her?
    That’s easy, silly. You don’t.
    Lizzie slid the dress she wore up her thighs and hooked thumbs in the waistband of her panties. A fire lit deep in Patrick’s eyes. He watched her every movement with interest. She let the panties drop and hooked them with the heel of her boot to raise to her hand.
    “Bring them to me,” Patrick ordered.
    Lizzie sauntered to him and lifted her arm with the offering, but Patrick encircled her wrist and jerked her to him. She stumbled against him, and his arm sealed her to his chest. With his free hand, he nabbed the panties and brought them