Bear's Kiss (Bear Heat Book 2) (6 page)

“Kiss me,” she
said simply. “Just kiss me, Caleb.”

His eyes widened a fraction.
Then he bent down and captured her mouth in a searing, breathtaking
kiss.

His lips moved over hers,
sucking, tasting, taking everything she had to offer. Prisha moaned
softly, wanting more, needing more. She pushed her fingers into his
short, brown hair, and boldly swept her tongue across his lower lip.

Caleb gripped her body and
snarled. His kiss became more urgent and fervent, and he plundered
her mouth with his lips and tongue as he walked her backwards towards
the bed.

Prisha felt the back of her
knees hit the mattress and she pulled him down with her as she fell
onto the white satin sheets.

His large hand stroked down
her body, touching her all over but he didn't strip her. Not yet.
She unbuttoned his shirt impatiently and threw it over his shoulder.
His bare, muscular torso rippled as he touched and teased her through
her clothes.

Caleb nuzzled her neck and
thumbed her aching nipples through her blouse and bra, driving her
almost mindless with need. She dug her fingers into his flesh,
raking down his muscular back, marking him, urging him.

When he pressed his erection
against her thigh, she writhed and rubbed against him, wanting to
feel his bare body sliding, moving, burning into hers.

Finally, when she was about
to lose her mind and scream, Caleb ripped her clothes right off her
body. A raw, animal growl rumbled from his throat as he shredded her
bra and blouse, and yanked her jeans down her legs.

His eyes were glowing with a
deadly, feral hunger, as his hands and mouth moved all over her naked
body. Prisha panted as the unbearable, maddening ache grew and
throbbed between her legs. She wanted to feel him inside her, hard
and fast and deep.

Caleb knelt between her
quivering thighs and kissed down her body. He seemed to be marking
every inch of her body with his lips and tongue, and setting every
nerve on fire.

Prisha's breath hitched at
his possessive growl. “Mine.”

CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

Caleb kicked off his pants
and pinned Prisha down with his hard, ripped body. The feel of her
naked and panting beneath him was sheer bliss and torment. He wanted
to plunge deep into her, claim her and mark her hard.

His control was almost in
shreds. His bear was clawing at him, ramming against his shields,
wanting out.

“Prisha,” he
snarled, his voice barely human.

She gazed up at him, her dark
eyes full of lust and hunger. Spreading her legs wider, she pushed
her hips up to him, offering herself wholly up for his pleasure and
taking.

“I'm ready,” she
whispered.

His bear roared, and with one
forceful thrust, he surged into her, sheathing himself deep inside
her body.

Prisha whimpered, and he
froze immediately. “Did I...hurt you?” he asked
raggedly.

She shook her head and slowly
wound her arms around his neck. “You feel...amazing, Caleb.”

He kissed the corner of her
mouth and began to move. He forced himself to go slow. She was lush
and curvy, but so human and tiny. And oh so tight. He slid gently
in and out of her, suckling her and teasing her pebbled nipples with
his teeth and tongue.

Caleb stroked into her slick,
wet heat, burying himself to the hilt with each thrust. His hands
moved down her smooth, chocolate brown skin, kneading all her
generous curves hungrily.

She was so beautiful, with
her long black hair fanned out around her face. A goddess, that's
what she was. He had a goddess in his bed. He would worship her
body for the rest of his life.

Caleb pounded harder and
faster into her, lacing his fingers through hers. She moaned and
panted into his mouth as he fucked her, her luscious body undulating
beneath his.

She was close to the edge.
He could feel her pussy squeezing and tightening around his cock, and
her breaths were coming hard and fast. She made small, yipping
sounds as he surged into her and her head thrashed from side to side.

“Oh, don't stop,”
she begged. “Don't stop, Caleb...”

He didn't. He couldn't.
He wanted to be inside her forever.

Caleb growled and put his
mouth to her breast. When he bit down on her nipple, she screamed
and shattered completely. Her entire body quaked and shuddered from
her explosive orgasm.

Caleb scraped his teeth over
her breasts and clamped down on her shoulder. Holding her still, he
thrust once, twice into her and roared his release.

He kept moving inside her
even after he had emptied himself into her hot, clenching body.

Caleb opened his eyes and
stared down at his mate. Her dark skin shone with sweat and there
was a fresh, throbbing mark on her shoulder.
His
.

“My Prisha.” He
cupped her face and she turned to kiss his palm.

Her body was still trembling
when he pulled her to him. He kissed her and sighed, “Beautiful.”

“It is,” she
agreed.

Caleb frowned. “It?”

“The moon. You were
talking about the moon, right?” She put her head on his
shoulder and gazed out of the wide, full-length window opposite their
bed.

The full moon hung low over
the lake, casting a magical, silvery glow over the rippling water.
The night sky was a dizzying array of blue and purple hues. Prisha
was right. It was a beautiful sight. But—

“No, I wasn't talking
about the moon.”

She looked up in surprise.
Hugging her tight, he whispered, “I was talking about you.”

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

Prisha poured herself
another cup of coffee and went back to sit beside Caleb at the dining
table. He had his laptop in front of him and his phone to his ear.
She couldn't hear what was said on the other end and Caleb's
responses were terse and largely monosyllabic.

It was morning now, but Caleb
had been on the phone the whole night, coordinating his investigation
teams. She had woken up in the middle of the night and found him
pacing in the kitchen, speaking rapidly and quietly into his phone.
She'd heard him give clear orders to his Black Bears to watch over
Nurin, Ali and Jennifer, and to check out her apartment and
restaurant.

It was clear that Caleb had a
lot on his mind, and he had a lot to do. He scowled into his coffee
as he worked through various plans and strategies in his mind. His
phone kept beeping with messages, and he fired off rapid responses to
each message, leaving his bowl of cereal untouched.

Finally, he put down the
phone and looked up.

“Ray Shapez didn't
destroy your restaurant. Everything is still standing.”

Prisha managed a lopsided
smile. “Strange. I thought it would be in smithereens or
ashes by now.”

“Not strange. Shrewd.
He wants to lure you back to a place that is familiar and precious to
you.”

Prisha blew out a long sigh.
“And I was hoping to get back to the restaurant. The customers
must be...”

“Your customers can
wait. And I'm sure all your loyal customers would want you to be
safe.”

Prisha agreed that she should
stay in Caleb's tree house for a while. “You're right,”
she conceded before breaking into a grin. “I haven't taken a
break in a long while. I'll just take this chance to rest and
relax.”

Caleb nodded but a deep frown
was still etched on his face. “I might have to make a quick
trip back to the office. A few things have cropped up. And…”

“Don't worry, I'll be
fine,” Prisha said quickly. “You do what you have to do.
I'll just lounge around your tree house.” She gave a low
whistle and gestured at the place. “I never imagined a tree
house could be so...lavish!”

“Glad you like it.”
He grinned, but the lines around his eyes betrayed his stress and
worry.

Prisha kissed him tenderly on
the cheek. “I love it. And I love you.”

“I love you too,”
he murmured against her lips. “So much.”

With one last kiss, Caleb
grabbed his phone and car keys and left the house.

Prisha took her mug of
steaming coffee out to the balcony. She smiled and waved as Caleb
got into his car and started the engine.

His green eyes shone with
love and longing as he looked up at her.
Be back soon
, he
mouthed.

Prisha watched until his
Range Rover was out of sight. With a quiet sigh, she finished her
coffee and went back into the house. The place was lovely, but it
just felt so cold and empty without Caleb. Prisha washed her cup and
tidied up the place a bit. It was still early morning, and the whole
day stretched out before her. She wished she was back in her
restaurant, cooking and chatting with her customers. She loved the
routine and rush of her hectic, bustling life. She wondered how
Jennifer and the rest were faring. They must be so scared and
worried for her. And her regular customers must be wondering why
Curry Corner wasn't open today.

Unable to bear the stillness
and silence in the house, Prisha went out to the balcony and stared
out at the lake. She inhaled a deep breath, comforting herself with
Caleb's familiar, masculine scent. She was wearing one of his
t-shirts and her jeans, which was the only item of clothing that
Caleb hadn't shredded last night.

She raised her face to the
sky, warming herself in the morning sunlight. She gasped and
shivered suddenly as the image of the dark alley and the barrel of a
gun flashed before her eyes. She could hear Ray Shapez's chuckle as
he gave the order,
Get rid of her. Make it quick.

No, no, no. She wouldn't
dwell on that.

She wasn't dead. She was
alive, gloriously, miraculously alive.

She shook her head hard and
clenched her clammy fists. Enough.

These morbid, paralyzing
thoughts were doing her no good at all.

She would not be cowed and
intimidated by a bunch of bullies and murderers. Shapez and his men
were just cowardly bullies with big guns and dirty money.

She would not let them get to
her!

Prisha forced herself to take
in the scenery and listen to the soothing sounds of nature around
her. The weather was beautiful, and a walk would do her good, she
decided. Clear her head and calm her nerves. Getting some fresh air
and exercise would surely lift her spirits.

Prisha flipped the switch to
lower the tall ladder to the ground. She climbed down shakily and
paced around the huge tree, stretching her legs and rolling her
shoulders.

Breathing in the clean, crisp
air, she gradually felt better, calmer and bolder. She began to
stroll towards the lake, stopping now and then to admire the wild
flowers.

As she approached the edge of
the lake, she heard a twig snap behind her. Whirling round, she
scanned the woods and moving grasses.

Nothing. Just some birds
flitting from tree to tree.

She gulped and tried to tamp
down her rising panic. Her heart was beating too fast. Her skin
prickled as the air seemed to chill around her.

Prisha shivered even though
she was standing in a patch of sparkling sunshine.

Very slowly, she turned
around.

Someone was watching her.
She could feel it.

She could sense eyes on her.
Unfriendly, hostile eyes.

She wanted to run back
towards the tree house but her feet wouldn't move. Her legs felt
stiff and heavy, like they had turned to blocks of cement.

A shadow fell in front of her
and she jerked her head up.

“Hello, Prisha.”

She choked back a cry and
stumbled back. “Terrence!” She shook her head in
disbelief and dismay.

How did he find her?

She thought that she had left
him behind for good when she left her small town. But it seemed he
had followed her all the way to the city. He was still stalking her,
haunting her.

Why wouldn't he just give up?

It was over between them. He
should just let her go and move on.

“You don't look happy
to see me, Prisha. It's been a long time. How have you been?”
Terrence smiled, but there was a malicious glint in his gray eyes.

“I...”

“Oh, I know how you're
been. I see everything you do. I know where you live, where you
work, who you've been with.” Terrence turned and spat. “And
you've been with another man! He's not even a man. He's an animal.
You've been fucking an animal!”

Prisha shook her head and
kept backing away. Terrence looked crazed, homicidal. Her heel
knocked against a rock, and Prisha flicked her eyes down quickly.
She could use the rock as a weapon. It was the only thing she could
use to defend herself.