haven’t been dating in a long time. You just need to get back out there. You think you’re happy now, but I’m a short, chubby bear, and one day you’ll realize I’m not what you’re looking for.”
“And then what? I’ll cheat?” he spat the words and turned toward her. “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t care about the bear thing. I’m surrounded by bears nearly every single god damned day, and Gage is my best friend. I don’t give a shit about that.”
“Yeah, but—”
“But nothing,” he shouted, and took a step closer. “I wouldn’t have had sex with you if I didn’t love your curvy body. You’re sexy as hell and I can’t be around you without becoming as hard as a rock. Even now, when you’ve made it clear you don’t feel the same, all I want to do is fuck you.”
He turned away, looked back outside and sighed. He needed to get away from her, and silently wished for the rain to let up. It came down harder instead.
Shit!
“Men always want sex,” she accused.
“I don’t know about the other men you’ve dated, but that’s not true,” he said, exasperated. “Some men only want sex with the right woman. Gage is a perfect example. He waited two years for Kate, and he never dated, or had sex with anyone else during that time.”
“You’re telling me you didn’t sleep with her?”
“Who?” he asked, turning back to face her.
“Lynette.”
For the first time since he entered the cave, he noticed her attire. She wore the same black dress from their date the night before, but it didn’t look the same. The material had permanent wrinkles, as if she’d slept in it, and the lace on the hem hung down loosely, as if it had been caught on something.
Could she have been more upset with his possible date than she admitted? He shook his head, reminded once again of her stubbornness, and realized his bear hadn’t been completely honest. If she accepted him, he knew his life would never be dull, and his love for her seemed to expand.
“I didn’t even go out with her.”
“She cancelled?”
He’d had enough.
“Dammit woman,” he roared and stormed across the cave. “You. Are. Infuriating.” He grabbed one hand as he spoke, and slapped one of the cuffs on her wrist. By the time she’d figured out what he’d done, both wrists were bound together in front of her.
“Da—”
He grabbed the back of her head with one hand, and covered her mouth with the other.
“Stop talking and listen to me.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t struggle.
“The date with Lynette was a trick. I apologized to her for your momentary insanity, and she agreed to go along with my plan. I. Want. You,” he said, “and not just for sex. Before you arrived in Bear Mountain, I felt lost and lonely, like something was missing from my life, and now that you’re here, I feel complete. These past two weeks have been wonderful, and I don’t want them to end. I want to marry you, and see you pregnant with our cubs. You don’t have to mark me if you don’t want to, but I hope that one day you will. I love you, Emma, and I want to spend the rest of my life proving it to you. Please trust me and give us a chance.”
A single tear escaped from her eye, and rolled down her face, over his palm. He knew it wasn’t because of fear or pain, and hope swamped him. Maybe he’d finally gotten through to her.
His anger dissipated and his next words came out in a whisper.
“Do you understand what I’m saying, baby doll?”
She nodded her understanding.
“Good.”
He removed the hand covering her mouth, and kissed her.
***
Emma met Dave’s hungry kiss with one of her own. She didn’t protest his tactics because suddenly everything made sense. She might be an alpha bear, but Dave was an alpha man. The men she’d dated before had been weak in comparison, and she finally understood why they’d all cheated.
She just hadn’t met her match yet. Or her mate.
He forced his tongue between her lips
“And then what? I’ll cheat?” he spat the words and turned toward her. “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t care about the bear thing. I’m surrounded by bears nearly every single god damned day, and Gage is my best friend. I don’t give a shit about that.”
“Yeah, but—”
“But nothing,” he shouted, and took a step closer. “I wouldn’t have had sex with you if I didn’t love your curvy body. You’re sexy as hell and I can’t be around you without becoming as hard as a rock. Even now, when you’ve made it clear you don’t feel the same, all I want to do is fuck you.”
He turned away, looked back outside and sighed. He needed to get away from her, and silently wished for the rain to let up. It came down harder instead.
Shit!
“Men always want sex,” she accused.
“I don’t know about the other men you’ve dated, but that’s not true,” he said, exasperated. “Some men only want sex with the right woman. Gage is a perfect example. He waited two years for Kate, and he never dated, or had sex with anyone else during that time.”
“You’re telling me you didn’t sleep with her?”
“Who?” he asked, turning back to face her.
“Lynette.”
For the first time since he entered the cave, he noticed her attire. She wore the same black dress from their date the night before, but it didn’t look the same. The material had permanent wrinkles, as if she’d slept in it, and the lace on the hem hung down loosely, as if it had been caught on something.
Could she have been more upset with his possible date than she admitted? He shook his head, reminded once again of her stubbornness, and realized his bear hadn’t been completely honest. If she accepted him, he knew his life would never be dull, and his love for her seemed to expand.
“I didn’t even go out with her.”
“She cancelled?”
He’d had enough.
“Dammit woman,” he roared and stormed across the cave. “You. Are. Infuriating.” He grabbed one hand as he spoke, and slapped one of the cuffs on her wrist. By the time she’d figured out what he’d done, both wrists were bound together in front of her.
“Da—”
He grabbed the back of her head with one hand, and covered her mouth with the other.
“Stop talking and listen to me.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t struggle.
“The date with Lynette was a trick. I apologized to her for your momentary insanity, and she agreed to go along with my plan. I. Want. You,” he said, “and not just for sex. Before you arrived in Bear Mountain, I felt lost and lonely, like something was missing from my life, and now that you’re here, I feel complete. These past two weeks have been wonderful, and I don’t want them to end. I want to marry you, and see you pregnant with our cubs. You don’t have to mark me if you don’t want to, but I hope that one day you will. I love you, Emma, and I want to spend the rest of my life proving it to you. Please trust me and give us a chance.”
A single tear escaped from her eye, and rolled down her face, over his palm. He knew it wasn’t because of fear or pain, and hope swamped him. Maybe he’d finally gotten through to her.
His anger dissipated and his next words came out in a whisper.
“Do you understand what I’m saying, baby doll?”
She nodded her understanding.
“Good.”
He removed the hand covering her mouth, and kissed her.
***
Emma met Dave’s hungry kiss with one of her own. She didn’t protest his tactics because suddenly everything made sense. She might be an alpha bear, but Dave was an alpha man. The men she’d dated before had been weak in comparison, and she finally understood why they’d all cheated.
She just hadn’t met her match yet. Or her mate.
He forced his tongue between her lips
Similar Books
