Bearly In Control (8 page)

“Keep it,” she said as she walked out of the room. “And your hair looks like shit.”

Edwin sat on the cold cement floor in the corner of the train station and watched a cockroach skitter along the tracks.

His chest was hurting.
I thought a broken heart was just a metaphor.

It hurt but he did the right thing. For Grace. He was no good. And Grace deserved better.

He couldn’t even pass a few days without phasing. He would always be a freak like his parents called him. He would go back to the woods and live out the rest of his sad life as a bear.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw Grace rushing through the crowd. She was wearing a pink summer dress that hugged her gorgeous body. Her head was darting around, looking for something. Her eyes were frantic and alive.

Their eyes met and Edwin felt warmth flow through him. He held his breath as she made her way over. She knelt down in front of him as his bear purred in content at the delicious smell of his mate.

He looked down at the floor. Even her toes were perfect.

“I know what happened,” she said.

His cheeks flushed in shame. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I tried not to phase. I failed you.”

“Not that,” she said, lifting his head up. Her blue eyes were sparkling like a lagoon. “With Daisy. I heard what you said. That you love me.”

It didn’t matter. He didn’t deserve her.

“Did you mean it?” she asked. “I know that your bear bonded with me but I didn’t know that you loved me.”

“Of course,” he whispered.

She smiled and Edwin’s pulse raced. “I love you too,” she said. “Let me come with you.”

Edwin was shocked. That’s not what he was expecting to hear. Still. He had to do what was best for her.

“I think you should stay,” he said. “I can’t give you the kind of lifestyle that you deserve. The luxuries. The-”

“I’ve had that my entire life,” she said shaking her head, “and I’ve never been happy. Well, until I met you.”

She ran her fingers through his hair and he closed his eyes, focusing on her touch, on her words.

“Material things have never made me happy. You make me happy. I’d like to try out a new lifestyle. With you.”

Edwin sighed. “But I’m no good. My parents left me in the forest. Your father saw the same thing in me.”

Grace shook her head, clearly annoyed. “Your parents were nuts and my Dad is an asshole.” She raised his chin until he was looking in her eyes. “You’re a good person. You’re a good bear. And I want to spend my life with you.”

A weightlessness flowed through Edwin’s body. He couldn’t help but smile, thankful for this second chance.

“I’ll try really hard to change,” he promised. “To be more normal.”

“No,” she snapped. “I don’t want that. I love you how you are. If anything I want to be more like you.”

Heat radiated through Edwin’s chest. He felt like he was going to float away on the next breeze.

Grace kissed him on the lips, soft and short. He licked his lips when she pulled away, tasting the moistness that she left on him.

“I have my car outside,” she said. “Can I drive you home?”

“Only if you stay with me when we get there,” he said. “Only if we can call it our home.”

She stood up and put out her hand.

Edwin grabbed it, like a handshake.

Grace nodded. “Deal.”

seven

The mountain wind whipped in through the window of Grace’s car as she pushed down on the gas. It was a spectacular drive through the mountains and even better in her Porsche. The small car hugged the road as it rocketed around the windy turns.

Grace stuck her hand out the window and felt the rush of air slapping her open palm, as if the earth was giving her a high five.

Edwin was looking out the window in the passenger seat, shirtless. She couldn’t wait to get him home and let his natural self take over. His naked natural self.

Edwin said that she could stay with him at his work place: Brooke Excursions. Connor would be happy to have her over but Grace had another idea. But she wasn’t going to let Edwin in on it just yet.

“Hungry?” she asked.

He leaned over towards her and slid his hand up her inner thigh. Her body tingled at his touch.

“I’m hungry for you,” he said, sliding his hand up her skirt.

“Careful with that hand,” she said, making no effort to move it. “You don’t want to start anything that you can’t finish.”

His fingers crept up her thigh. They were dangerously close. She inched open her legs for him and bit her lip as he grazed her moistening lips with his fingers.

“I’ll finish,” he said, his voice deeper, throatier. “Tell me what you want.”

She shivered as the car turned the corner. There was a small shack up ahead on the side of the mountain road with a fruit stand. A faded, hand painted sign rested on the side of the maple tree in the front yard. It looked like it was straight out of a postcard.

“Strawberries,” she said, grabbing his wrist and pulling his hand away. “I want strawberries.”

Grace pulled the car onto the side of the road as Edwin groaned in frustration. She loved teasing him. It would make the sex that much better when they finally got to it.

An older couple with matching sun hats sat under the maple tree holding hands. A small, quaint shack sat behind them with bright flowers under the windows and colorful curtains. There were two of everything: two chairs on the front porch, two hammocks attached to the trees beside the house and two chairs beside the fire pit.

These two old lovebirds probably never left each other’s sides. Grace felt a twinge of jealousy until she looked at Edwin. She had a feeling in her heart that they would be like that couple in a few decades. Always together. Still in love.

“Howdy,” the man called out as they approached.

Grace waved and squeezed Edwin’s hand. There was a folding table full of baskets of fresh fruit. They chatted with the nice couple as Grace picked out an overflowing basket of freshly picked strawberries.

The woman, Dora, poured them two big glasses of her homemade lemonade. “There’s a cute little path down there,” she said, pointing down the street, “that leads to the most breathtaking scenic spot. It has a beautiful view of the mountains.”

Dora gazed into her husband, Morris’ eyes. “It’s where we first bonded.”

Grace paid the happy couple and her and Edwin headed for the path with the fruit and lemonade. “They were bear shifters,” he said.

“Really?” Grace asked, shocked. She hadn’t noticed anything weird about them, besides their close bond.

Edwin nodded. “I could smell them.”

They strolled along the path with the warm sun tickling their faces. A cardinal flew in front of them and landed on a nearby branch. It sang to them as they passed.

The path opened up to the scenic spot and Grace gasped. They were on the side of a mountain. The ground dropped off the cliff in front of them and opened up to an astonishing view of mountains, valleys, trees and a slow moving river. There was nothing like this in the city.

They sat down on the ground and Grace stretched out her legs, grazing her naked toes in the long grass.

She smiled into the warm sun as Edwin fed her strawberries. She chuckled. She was actually happy. Truly happy.

Her Dad and her old ‘friends’ never seemed to be happy. Yes they had good times but good times was not happy. Good times floated on the surface but happiness went down to the core.

She was taught that material things were the key to happiness but she wouldn’t trade this beautiful view, the soft grass below her, the juicy strawberries and Edwin’s soothing company for all of the yachts, sports cars and jewelery in the world.

She was finally learning what life was all about. Finally learning how to stop and smell the roses.

She leaned into Edwin and he kissed her on the lips. He tasted like strawberries.

“I think you better finish what you started,” she said, licking her lips.

He reclined on the grass, the sun coating his shirtless body. “I’m on break now,” he teased.

Grace swung her leg over and straddled him. She raked her hands on his pecs and lowered her head, letting her hair tickle his face. “Then I’ll finish it,” she said, grinding her hips on him.

She felt his erection harden on her inner thigh. She moaned and repositioned her hips so it was pressing against her pussy. She gasped into his mouth. He was so hard.

She rocked her hips back and forth until her panties were soaked through.

Grace kept an eye on the path leading to the road as she reached down and unbuttoned his shorts. Edwin raised his hips and she yanked them down. His hard cock sprung out and slapped his pelvis. She grazed her fingers up the smooth skin of his shaft as she kissed his chest. She gripped the head and rubbed her thumb on his tip, spreading the warm bead of stickiness.

His pecs vibrated, his bear purring within, talking to her. The sound made her wetter.

She lowered her sex back on him and writhed, harder this time.

She wanted him inside her but it felt too good, grinding on him. She didn’t want to get off even for the two seconds that it would take to slide off her panties.

Edwin leaned up and kissed her breasts over her dress. She moaned. Her nipples were hardening underneath. She wanted to feel his silky tongue on them.

She slid her straps down her arms, and yanked her bra down. Edwin was on her breasts at once, kissing them and sucking on her hard nipples. The heat of his mouth was warming her insides.

Grace kept an eye on the path, ready to pull her dress back up if any unwelcome hiker came to visit. She heard a car drive by, down the road in the distance.

Edwin slipped his firm hands under her dress and gripped her ass. She was rocking on his cock faster, rubbing him on her aching clit, on her throbbing folds. She could come like this. It felt so good.

His firm fingers slid down and pulled her underwear to the side. She moaned as he handled his cock, pushing the tip inside her, through her slick opening.

“Edwin,” she moaned, as he pressed up inside her.

She was so wet. But he was so big. He filled her tunnel fully. Completely. He hit every spot. Grace moaned, never wanting him to leave her body.

He lifted her up with his hands on her ass and lowered her up and down on his cock, slowly.

“You are the perfect sight Grace,” he said, his chest starting to move up and down quicker as his breath sped up.

Grace dropped her knees to the ground. He was going to slow. She arched her back and pumped her hips up and down on him, driving him deep inside her. Faster. Harder.

She glanced at the empty path ahead and then closed her eyes. Fuck it if anyone saw them. It felt too good.

She rolled her head back and closed her eyes, focusing on his thick erection in her, on his shaft rubbing against her wet lips, on her pulsing clit slamming into his hard pelvis and his hands on her breasts.

She made the right choice leaving with him. His dick alone made it worth it.

Edwin groaned as his bear purred, happy to have his mate back. It was such an erotic sound, the animalistic grumbling. It was primal and hot.

Grace clawed her fingernails into his sides and pumped harder on his cock.

She was breathing heavy now, close to the edge.

He grabbed her waist with a firm grip and held her up. She gasped as he thrust into her fast, violent. This was what she had been waiting for: to get fucked hard by her mate.

The aching in her clit spread out through her body until all she could think about was the release of the built up tension. Her chest felt compressed, she could barely breathe.

The pressure swirled into a ball inside her as Edwin’s strong hips worked under her. The tension grew in intensity. She was going to come. It was all she could focus on.

She moaned loud, not caring if anyone heard. All she wanted now was to release the tight ball that Edwin had built up inside her.

“Come on me,” he whispered, thrusting harder. Drawing it from her. Pushing her closer.

“I’m going to-”

Her body lit fire as the pressure unraveled in an explosion of bliss. Her head dropped down and she grimaced, panting, shutting her eyes. She couldn’t breathe. It was so intense. The pleasure rushed through her, consuming her, taking her.

Her legs shook as she braced herself on his chest.

Edwin’s body jerked and flexed as he followed her, filling her insides with his seed. He grunted her name as he came.

Grace opened her eyes and took in the beautiful sight below her. There was a slick sheen of sweat on Edwin’s muscular body. He was breathing heavily, his muscled tight. He gazed up at her and the corner of his mouth curled up in a smile as his body relaxed.

She lowered her head onto him, nuzzling her face into the warm nook of his neck. He smelled like the outdoors mixed with sex.

He scratched her back as he whispered soft words into her ear. “I want to be with you forever,” he said. “I want to be your mate.”

She kissed his cheek, tasting the saltiness of his sweat. “You are my mate.”