claws out, so she dug them into his back as he bucked into her, faster and harder. She cried out with every stroke as the tingling pressure built inside her. And as she breathed his name, she fell apart, detonating around him as he gritted his teeth and shot into her. Warm jets released into her as his cock flexed and swelled, pulsing to match her own release. She raked her nails down his back, and he pursed his lips and thrust into her again and again until she lay spent and boneless under him.
He kissed her neck and moved slowly inside of her, as if he couldn’t get enough of the feel of her around him. He hugged her tightly and eventually eased out, only to tuck her against him and run a light touch from the top of her shoulder blades to the iliac crests of her lower back. Over and over, he stroked and kissed her, nibbled her collar bone until she felt completely adored.
This was the moment she’d remember for all time. For the rest of her short life, she’d know this was the time that had changed her from the inside out. This moment, right here, in the arms of the man who’d altered everything, was when she chose banishment.
Because a life without love, without this, wasn’t really a life at all.
Chapter Six
Kellen crossed his arms and sipped his beer, staring at the steaks on the grill. Today had been a roller coaster, and he wasn’t sure how he felt. Enraptured by Skyler, absolutely, but this wasn’t a simple relationship. Even if she hadn’t been hurt and half-broken when he found her, he was full to the gills with his own inner monsters, none of which he could ever let her see. If she knew what he really was, she’d leave and never come back. And that was a thought that was no longer tolerable. Not after he’d bedded her. Not after his bear had chosen her once and for all. He wasn’t mate material, but that didn’t seem to stop his inner animal from craving a partner.
And damn his instincts, he couldn’t avoid the bond that was forming between them. If he cut her off now and distanced himself, he’d still always pine. It was the way he was built. Loyal to a fault, and when he felt, he felt . Fuck, he was in it now, and she deserved so much better.
“You trying to burn the steaks, man?” Denison asked. “Cause you know no bear here likes their meat hard as a hockey puck.”
Rushing, Kellen flipped the meat as the heat below sizzled and hissed. “Sorry. I’m just…”
“In Skylerland?” Denison asked. He tinked his bottle against Kellen’s beer. “Looks like you got it bad.”
Kellen inhaled deeply and shook his head in shame. “What am I going to do?”
“About what? From the way you were rocking that trailer earlier, it’s pretty obvious you chose her.”
“Yeah, and what good does that do either of us? She’s better than this place. Better than me.”
Denison cocked his head and frowned. “Is this because of the time before Meredith found you?”
Kellen clacked his mouth closed and stared at the steaming steaks. No way in hell was he talking about his past. Thinking about it was bad enough.
Denison gripped his shoulder and squeezed. “You ain’t him.”
Kellen snorted and shook his head as his friend sauntered off. What did Denison know? He’d grown up with a loving family. Him and Brighton both. They were made for mates. They’d seen a good example of love. Kellen wouldn’t even know where to begin. He knew one thing, and one thing alone. If he allowed himself to claim a mate, any mate, he’d burn her up until she was a husk of the person she was supposed to be.
He hadn’t brought Skyler here to claim her.
He’d brought her here to heal her.
Anything more would break her the rest of the way, and it wasn’t something he or his bear could live with.
Haydan whistled a catcall, and Kellen turned. Brooke and Skyler were making their way down the porch stairs of 1010 a few trailers up. Skyler was wearing a pair of skin-tight, sexy-as-all-get-out jeans and a black
He kissed her neck and moved slowly inside of her, as if he couldn’t get enough of the feel of her around him. He hugged her tightly and eventually eased out, only to tuck her against him and run a light touch from the top of her shoulder blades to the iliac crests of her lower back. Over and over, he stroked and kissed her, nibbled her collar bone until she felt completely adored.
This was the moment she’d remember for all time. For the rest of her short life, she’d know this was the time that had changed her from the inside out. This moment, right here, in the arms of the man who’d altered everything, was when she chose banishment.
Because a life without love, without this, wasn’t really a life at all.
Chapter Six
Kellen crossed his arms and sipped his beer, staring at the steaks on the grill. Today had been a roller coaster, and he wasn’t sure how he felt. Enraptured by Skyler, absolutely, but this wasn’t a simple relationship. Even if she hadn’t been hurt and half-broken when he found her, he was full to the gills with his own inner monsters, none of which he could ever let her see. If she knew what he really was, she’d leave and never come back. And that was a thought that was no longer tolerable. Not after he’d bedded her. Not after his bear had chosen her once and for all. He wasn’t mate material, but that didn’t seem to stop his inner animal from craving a partner.
And damn his instincts, he couldn’t avoid the bond that was forming between them. If he cut her off now and distanced himself, he’d still always pine. It was the way he was built. Loyal to a fault, and when he felt, he felt . Fuck, he was in it now, and she deserved so much better.
“You trying to burn the steaks, man?” Denison asked. “Cause you know no bear here likes their meat hard as a hockey puck.”
Rushing, Kellen flipped the meat as the heat below sizzled and hissed. “Sorry. I’m just…”
“In Skylerland?” Denison asked. He tinked his bottle against Kellen’s beer. “Looks like you got it bad.”
Kellen inhaled deeply and shook his head in shame. “What am I going to do?”
“About what? From the way you were rocking that trailer earlier, it’s pretty obvious you chose her.”
“Yeah, and what good does that do either of us? She’s better than this place. Better than me.”
Denison cocked his head and frowned. “Is this because of the time before Meredith found you?”
Kellen clacked his mouth closed and stared at the steaming steaks. No way in hell was he talking about his past. Thinking about it was bad enough.
Denison gripped his shoulder and squeezed. “You ain’t him.”
Kellen snorted and shook his head as his friend sauntered off. What did Denison know? He’d grown up with a loving family. Him and Brighton both. They were made for mates. They’d seen a good example of love. Kellen wouldn’t even know where to begin. He knew one thing, and one thing alone. If he allowed himself to claim a mate, any mate, he’d burn her up until she was a husk of the person she was supposed to be.
He hadn’t brought Skyler here to claim her.
He’d brought her here to heal her.
Anything more would break her the rest of the way, and it wasn’t something he or his bear could live with.
Haydan whistled a catcall, and Kellen turned. Brooke and Skyler were making their way down the porch stairs of 1010 a few trailers up. Skyler was wearing a pair of skin-tight, sexy-as-all-get-out jeans and a black
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