Some Bear to Love: BBW Bear Shifter (BWWM) Romance Standalone (4 page)

Naked in the ocean with a woman as free as the wind. The idea appealed to him. “I’ll change and be right out.”

“Change?” she asked.

“I’ll come out in my swimsuit. I’m not promising more,” he said.

“Tit for tat,” she said cryptically, winking at him before slipping out and shutting the door behind her. “I’ll be waiting for you in the water.”

No words had ever made him so hard.

W
hen he slipped
out onto the lower back deck and stepped down onto the swim platform, she was already waiting in the water. He’d changed quickly so she wouldn’t have to wait and because he worried about her out on the deck in the dark.

The others had exhausted themselves and retreated to their cabins, and he’d forbidden them from coming out in the dark before Bart knocked on their doors. They couldn’t risk people getting hurt at night.

But he was a light sleeper and tended to stay awake on nights like this, making sure no one got any bright ideas about night swimming without waking the staff. And he’d just been lucky that she’d decided to come to him first after all. Not Wilson.

There would have been a pretty intense confrontation if he’d found them together, naked. He gritted his teeth and told himself it was just about propriety, but as he saw her emerge, kelpie like, from the water after dipping her head under, he knew it was much more than propriety he was worried about.

He was worried about his heart.

He sat on the platform in his board shorts and watched her tread water. “Are you…?” How did one ask such a thing?

She shook her head and then dunked underwater, leaving her braids floating above her. When she surfaced, she had a grin on her face and a piece of material in her hand, which she tossed to him. He caught it with a stern look and set it on the platform. He’d only held it for a second, but he knew the feel of a built-in bra.

Warmth moved up into his neck and other uncomfortable parts of his body as he saw the tops of her beautiful, smooth breasts in the water. She was glistening, glorious, and he wanted nothing more than to get into the water and make her his. Like he was some cursed ship captain and she was some damn harpy or mermaid calling him to his doom.

She went under again and this time surfaced with the sarong, which she handed him. His mouth went dry. That meant there was only…

She went under again and tossed him small swim bottoms. He gulped and adjusted his sitting position. Damn, not a stitch on. He longed for more light so he could see her beautiful body fully illuminated. He could only make out the vague shape of it, the curves down to her dark legs that fluttered in the water. Her smooth shoulders glistened with ocean water, those gorgeous braids floating around her tantalizingly. He wanted to put his hand in them and pull her close for another possessive kiss.

She opened those full, perfect lips and her eyes glistened playfully in the moonlight. “Your turn,” she said.

He swallowed. It was now or never. Be the stern ship captain he’d always been who’d never allowed himself fun, never gone out of line, never taken a risk, or get in the water with this magnificent creature who pulled him to do things he’d never considered, feel things he’d never imagined.

He was a straight person, and his path had always been in a line. She was a magnet pulling him off his track, but he couldn’t help but like it, even as a part of him felt dimly that this was going to be his doom.

“Come on in,” she said, grinning and moving the water around, causing her breasts to rise and fall in the water in a tantalizing way that made his mouth dry. “The water’s fine.”

The cool ocean breeze swirled around him as he slipped into the sea, letting the cool water caress his skin as he swam toward her. With one smooth motion, he reached down, undid the tie of his shorts, and slid them off to toss them on the platform.

Her eyes heated and locked on his, then ran down the length of his body.

They were naked. This was stupid. He wasn’t looking for anything but tonight, and she wasn’t the type he was looking for if he were.

B
ut still
, he ran his hands over her smooth waist, put one hand in her braids to cradle her head, and pulled her to him, relishing in the smooth feel of her curves against him as he took her mouth for the second time.

Her body was warm and soft, plush against him as he made love to her with his mouth. He kissed her lips, her neck, her shoulders, all bared to him and salty in the ocean, but it didn’t matter. He kicked to keep them treading water as he explored her body.

His hands dropped to her chest, and he gently kneaded her smooth bared breasts. “You’re so gorgeous. You infuriate me in every way, but you’re gorgeous,” he said.

She wrapped her arms around him and leaned back, offering herself up to him. “I’m not looking for anything serious.”

“You won’t get it from me,” he growled, lowering to water level to lick at her nipple. She tasted salty, but it felt just right. He arched her farther back and kissed her navel, dipping his tongue along the center. The more he touched her, the more he tasted, the wilder her body felt, the more the bear within him roared for his mate.

But he knew how stupid it would be to answer that call.

She had her life; he had his. It wouldn’t do to pretend being mates would solve all of that. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t experience all this chemistry together.

She flailed slightly in the water, and he pulled her closely, keeping them afloat. “When you’re touching me, I can’t seem to focus on not drowning.”

His eyes grew serious as he made her a promise. “I would never let you drown. I would never let anything happen to you.”

Her eyes widened, like his statement meant something to her, like no one had ever said that before. The thought of it made him angry. This beautiful woman should be protected. She was strong and fiery and beautiful and precious, yet protection seemed to be lacking in her life.

He pulled her close and just held her. Was he really protecting her by taking what he wanted with no thought for the future?

She ran her hands over his shoulders. “I can’t promise you more than tonight, but I really want tonight. Just one night with my captain.”

He swallowed, still holding her, letting the cool water pass them, keeping each other warm with their bodies. What to do? The bear inside him ached to know his mate at least once, and it wouldn’t do to ignore his bear. But the human in him resisted a match that made no sense. She was everything he wasn’t. She’d be bored with him for sure, and he’d get angry with her.

So why wasn’t he letting her go? Why was he dipping to kiss the shell of her ear? Why was he grasping her large, soft butt in his hands and wrapping her legs around his waist in the water so he could keep her afloat? What was wrong with his brain today?

Damn, his father was a good matchmaker. The problem was neither Sebastien nor Kim wanted to be matched. She didn’t want commitment any more than he did. The thought bothered him slightly, but at least it was fair. If she had wanted him for keeps, he could never condone doing what they were probably about to do.

But just one night with only the ocean as witness, the sound of waves drowning their passion, alone… what could that hurt?

Maybe a lot, but he felt he’d hurt more if he didn’t have it. After this, he could go back to the sea and she could go back to New York, and they’d each have a pleasant memory to treasure.

He took her hand and swam toward the little dinghy he’d brought out with him when she’d stolen the boat. That seemed like an eternity ago, when she’d only been a nuisance. His dad had tried to describe to him just how quickly the mate thing happened, but he’d never believed it, always thought his father frivolous and shallow. Not that he blamed him for what happened afterward, but he had to believe his dad had made some sort of mistake that could be avoided. Because otherwise, how could he prevent the same thing happening to him?

He imagined building a life with this woman, enjoying everything with her, having cubs with her, and then her disappearing one day. The imagined pain of it struck him down to the bone.

That’s why this just had to be a passionate night to lose oneself in. One where they both knew the rules and took whatever passion they could from one another while leaving their hearts intact. But a part of him wanted to know why she said
she
couldn’t make promises. A part of him realized there was a part of her that was just as trapped as he was. And though he had no intention of getting out of his cage, he found himself wanting to free her.

He climbed into the boat and helped her up from the much smaller swim platform. The boat swayed. When she was safely inside and seated on the chair next to the captain’s chair, he untied the ropes holding them close to the other boat and let it out so they could drift away from the yacht.

The dinghy was a little large to be called a dinghy. It had only the two seats, plus a wide bottom and a motor on the back. They often towed it along on longer trips in case someone needed to go for tools or gas or help or something.

He could still remember the feel of riding out here, chasing the wayward woman who’d stolen his boat. How angry he’d felt but also how excited. His life had been one thing for so long, and even though it was uncomfortable to be different, he was sort of glad it was. And unsure how he would go back to normality after this.

He moved the cooler that made a makeshift bench onto the captain’s seat, reached under the bow to grab a few blankets they kept under there, and laid them on the bottom of the boat. There would be just enough room to hold her. They might not be able to do everything, but under the cover of darkness, they could still do a whole lot.

He took her hand and helped her down onto the soft makeshift bed he’d made. He wished he could give her something even greater.

In the darkness, he could just make out the shape of her body, but he was reassured that no one from the boat would be able to see them at all.

He couldn’t stand for anyone else to be able to see her. She splayed beneath him with a small smile and one arm over her head. Beautifully naked and reassured. He lowered himself down with her. It was so much easier to be stupid in the darkness.

O
h
, she’d wanted this for so long. She couldn’t even say why or how. It wasn’t just that he was a walking fantasy, that his hard naked body was more than she’d ever imagined. Here in the darkness, it was quiet and private. There were clouds in the sky, obscuring the stars, so she could barely make out the outline of his body. But still, she knew him. She reached up to feel along his sleek, damp, hugely muscled arms as he knelt over her. He was so tall, so powerful, and his hair whipped in the slight wind.

She could make out faint light behind him from the boat, but it would just make them more invisible in the darkness to anyone who was used to the light.

No one would guess they were out here in this little boat, about to make love like their lives depended on it. At least she thought so. Why else would he have taken care to give them privacy, to lay out clean towels for her comfort? Not that she cared about comfort. All she really knew was if he didn’t touch her with those strong hands again or kiss her with that strong mouth, she was going to explode. She might explode either way.

He leaned forward, grabbing her other hand to pull it up with the one above her head. He pinned both there in one of his and leaned forward to kiss her again. This time their naked bodies met, his thighs over hers, his chest rubbing her taut nipples. The sensation was nearly unbearable, and she writhed against him.

He simply growled and pressed back her hands, as if to remind her who was in charge. Well, that was fine, but he couldn’t expect her to simply lie there. She nipped his lower lip as he pulled back to come in for another kiss, and his hand tightened on hers. Not hurting her, but just letting her feel the strength of them.

Yes, my mate,
her bear murmured.

But we aren’t allowed to choose,
she replied.
So just one night.

One night is never enough,
the bear answered, coming close to the surface. Kim could almost feel her teeth changing, but she resisted the shift. The closer to shifting she was, the more she realized this beautiful man on top of her was hers and hers alone, forever. And that was just too painful to think about.

He parted her lips and kissed her more deeply as a hand slipped between her legs to play in her folds. He slipped a finger over her center and rubbed lightly, making her arch and moan even as his hands held her in place and his lips stifled her kisses.

In the darkness, everything felt more intense. She couldn’t see, so his scent, like clean ocean wind, the feel of him, like steel covered in velvet, and the sensations in her body, like fireworks, were all intensified by a hundredfold.

Each touch was exquisite. His finger moved in gentle circles as his tongue teased. She met his thrusts with hers, swiping her tongue around his in a hot meshing that brought them closer and closer together. Dangerously close, as his circling finger got more and more precise, building the pressure rising inside her. Her breath came faster. She struggled against his arms and the impending release, gasping against his mouth, fighting the urge to scream out in anticipation.

He pressed down gently, in a slow circle, and that was enough. She arched and let out a scream that was only half stifled by the harsh kiss he gave her right after. He released her hands so she could clasp them around him, and she dug her fingernails into his back as wave after wave of sweet release hit her.

Nothing had ever felt this way. Nothing made sense anymore. She moved against him, wanting more, and he gave it to her.

“I want to taste you,” he said, reaching for something on the floor. “Can I?”

“Sure,” she said breathlessly. “Taste all you want.”

He tied her hands in one of the towels, a gentle but strong knot, and placed the end under the heavy captain’s chair. She struggled against it but once again found herself naked and at his mercy, her hands above her head.

The captain definitely liked being in control. Lucky for him, she liked him being in control as well. He seemed to sense that, and she could almost see the flash of a smile when he knelt between her legs and spread them in front of him. How she wanted to see him smile in the light. What would that even look like, a full smile from this stern, devastating man?