Some Bear to Love: BBW Bear Shifter (BWWM) Romance Standalone by Terry Bolryder Page B
Authors: Terry Bolryder
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thick hair was starting to dry and little wisps rose to whip in the wind. It gave him even more of stern, pirate-esque demeanor and appearance. “I suppose that’s admirable, that you put your family first.”
That stung slightly, given how much it had always hurt to have to put aside everything she wanted for the family, but she supposed he was right. Filial loyalty was something to be respected.
“What was that expression?” he asked, coming forward again. Everything between them seemed to be a dance. Back and forth, back and forth. Don’t get too close; that could hurt. Don’t get too far away; that could hurt worse.
She tilted her head and felt the wind over her braids. What was there to say? Even if he saw very real pain and distress over her situation, what could be done? Her family was powerful. She had her expectations. She shrugged. “It was nothing. I just sort of wish we could be reckless. That we could just enjoy my time in the Caribbean together, making love, enjoying the sun. Letting go a bit.” She lowered her head slightly. “This is my last chance to let go.”
His face tightened inexplicably. “I see. I’ll think about it.”
Her heart sank. She’d put it all out there, and he had to think about it? Damn. If he felt like she felt, wouldn’t he have just said yes and damn the consequences? But no, he was all about rules and routines and regulations. He did everything according to what made sense, and nothing about them made sense.
She tightened the blanket around her shoulders and turned to go downstairs. But he caught her by the arm and pulled her back against him, planting his mouth over hers in a possessive kiss.
She gasped and then softened against him, her mouth melting over his in a harsh, painful soldering of souls. Whatever they were playing with was going to hurt them incredibly, but she was somehow happy he couldn’t walk away either.
“I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely, pulling away. But the next moment, he was taking her mouth again, like he had to taste her. Like he couldn’t be away. He licked along her lower lip, making her open, and then licked inside her, exploring gently and fervently every bit of her.
He pulled back and leaned down, resting his forehead against hers. “Damn it. I have a job. I’m not the captain here, but I still have things to do. Tell you what. My days are mine. My nights are yours. It’s a shameless thing to offer, but something tells me you feel like me. That anything is better than nothing.”
“And at the end?” she asked, knowing the answer but wanting him to say it.
“We walk away, grateful for what we had, but neither regretting nor blaming the other.”
But you’re my mate, she wanted to say. But there was no point. Mate or not, she had her own reasons they couldn’t be together. He could ask her the same, and she’d be the one who said no. He was right. This was the only option. No quarter. No begging.
She kissed him as her answer. Their relationship could be as silent as the night, and she could still have other fun during the day. It was a compromise, but she’d have to accept it.
After she crept away from him and quietly back to her bed, it took her hours to fall asleep. She couldn’t stop picturing what they’d done in the dinghy and the pain she’d seen in his eyes when he told her what they couldn’t have.
----
T he next morning when Wilson knocked on Kim’s door, she was totally unready to wake up. They were going to another site to snorkel and then to stingray city, a place where tourists could swim with rays, and then they would be heading back to the hotel.
Not that sex in a dinghy hadn’t been nice, but she sort of looked forward to what Sebastien could do to her in a fancy suite or on the beach. She grinned as she told Wilson to go ahead without her and rolled groggily out of bed to get changed.
She pulled on her swimsuit and went up on deck in search of delicious coffee to keep her awake. Instead, she
That stung slightly, given how much it had always hurt to have to put aside everything she wanted for the family, but she supposed he was right. Filial loyalty was something to be respected.
“What was that expression?” he asked, coming forward again. Everything between them seemed to be a dance. Back and forth, back and forth. Don’t get too close; that could hurt. Don’t get too far away; that could hurt worse.
She tilted her head and felt the wind over her braids. What was there to say? Even if he saw very real pain and distress over her situation, what could be done? Her family was powerful. She had her expectations. She shrugged. “It was nothing. I just sort of wish we could be reckless. That we could just enjoy my time in the Caribbean together, making love, enjoying the sun. Letting go a bit.” She lowered her head slightly. “This is my last chance to let go.”
His face tightened inexplicably. “I see. I’ll think about it.”
Her heart sank. She’d put it all out there, and he had to think about it? Damn. If he felt like she felt, wouldn’t he have just said yes and damn the consequences? But no, he was all about rules and routines and regulations. He did everything according to what made sense, and nothing about them made sense.
She tightened the blanket around her shoulders and turned to go downstairs. But he caught her by the arm and pulled her back against him, planting his mouth over hers in a possessive kiss.
She gasped and then softened against him, her mouth melting over his in a harsh, painful soldering of souls. Whatever they were playing with was going to hurt them incredibly, but she was somehow happy he couldn’t walk away either.
“I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely, pulling away. But the next moment, he was taking her mouth again, like he had to taste her. Like he couldn’t be away. He licked along her lower lip, making her open, and then licked inside her, exploring gently and fervently every bit of her.
He pulled back and leaned down, resting his forehead against hers. “Damn it. I have a job. I’m not the captain here, but I still have things to do. Tell you what. My days are mine. My nights are yours. It’s a shameless thing to offer, but something tells me you feel like me. That anything is better than nothing.”
“And at the end?” she asked, knowing the answer but wanting him to say it.
“We walk away, grateful for what we had, but neither regretting nor blaming the other.”
But you’re my mate, she wanted to say. But there was no point. Mate or not, she had her own reasons they couldn’t be together. He could ask her the same, and she’d be the one who said no. He was right. This was the only option. No quarter. No begging.
She kissed him as her answer. Their relationship could be as silent as the night, and she could still have other fun during the day. It was a compromise, but she’d have to accept it.
After she crept away from him and quietly back to her bed, it took her hours to fall asleep. She couldn’t stop picturing what they’d done in the dinghy and the pain she’d seen in his eyes when he told her what they couldn’t have.
----
T he next morning when Wilson knocked on Kim’s door, she was totally unready to wake up. They were going to another site to snorkel and then to stingray city, a place where tourists could swim with rays, and then they would be heading back to the hotel.
Not that sex in a dinghy hadn’t been nice, but she sort of looked forward to what Sebastien could do to her in a fancy suite or on the beach. She grinned as she told Wilson to go ahead without her and rolled groggily out of bed to get changed.
She pulled on her swimsuit and went up on deck in search of delicious coffee to keep her awake. Instead, she
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