To Bite A Bear (3 page)

Harris laughed. “I wasn’t hiding. I was keeping

my sense of mystique.”

“Well, you don’t need it anymore. Now, I want

to unwrap my present.” Rohan stripped off

Harris’ loafers and tossed them aside. “As much

16

To Bite a Bear

as I appreciate you dressing up for the funeral, I

think I prefer my scruffy artist.”

“Scruffy?” Harris pretended to take offense.

“I’m not scruffy, I’m artistic.”

Rohan smiled, the first time that evening Harris

had seen that expression cross his face. “Well, I

prefer you in your artistic mode. Though, you do

clean up nice.”

Before Harris could think up a proper retort,

Rohan unzipped his slacks and pulled them down

quickly, followed by his socks.

Harris’ cock bobbed up to greet him.

“I see someone doesn’t like underwear,” Rohan

said, his eyes dark with lust.

“Too confining,” Harris admitted. He didn’t

like to be bound. “If I could I’d do all of my art

naked…”

“That I’d love to see,” Rohan said.

“Mmm, if you pose naked for me, I’ll draw

naked for you,” Harris promised.

“I’ll take you up on that.”

Before Harris could come up with a witty

comeback, Rohan sucked the tip of his cock, and

all thought out of his head. “Oh, fuck.”

“Not yet but soon, my beloved,” Rohan

promised. “I want you ready.”

“Then, make me ready.” Harris ripped off his

shirt and tossed it off the bed. “Back or hands and

knees?”

17

Amber Kell

“Oh, on your back. I want to see your face. I

need you to know who’s fucking you,” Rohan

insisted.

“I don’t need to see you to know who’s

screwing me. I’m not that much of a slut,” Harris

argued.

“Shush, you’re just looking for a fight now,”

Rohan said. He kissed Harris hard, determined to

leave an impression. Rohan reached down for his

pants on the floor and pulled a tube out of the

pocket.

“I guess we know who’s the slut,” Harris

teased. “I don’t carry lube around.”

Rohan grinned and tossed the tube to Harris. “I

didn’t know when you’d give in. I’ve been

carrying this in my pocket for two weeks. We

might not need condoms, but we definitely need

lube. Get yourself ready; I want to watch.”

He knew it shouldn’t make him so hard, but

Rohan’s commanding voice tripped all his sexual

wires. Barely taking his gaze off of Rohan, Harris

flipped the top of the lube open and wet his

fingers. His eyes widened when he saw the size of

Rohan’s erection. Damn, maybe he should’ve

investigated sex with vampires before.

“Only sex with me, beloved,” Rohan scolded.

“You are my only, and I will have the same. Don’t

make me kill some hapless man for daring to

touch what is mine.”

18

To Bite a Bear

“No. I wouldn’t want you to have to do that.”

Harris pushed one finger into his hole, relishing

the burn. Before Rohan’s hot gaze, he continued to

add fingers and lube until he was confident the

well-hung vampire could enter him without

causing injury.

“Now, get me ready,” Rohan stepped close

enough for Harris to wrap a lube-coated hand

around his shaft. “Make sure you use plenty. I

don’t want to hurt you.”

The consideration from a man many thought of

as cold and vicious warmed Harris’ heart. He

knew Carey had reservations over Harris’

obsession with Rohan, but he also knew his

friends wouldn’t interfere as long as he was

happy.

He rubbed lube across Rohan’s cock, making

sure to coat it thoroughly until the vampire

moaned and pushed into Harris’ fist. “Keep that

up and it will be the shortest fuck in history,”

Rohan groaned.

Harris released him.

“Grab your knees,” Rohan ordered, his rough

voice adding to Harris’ excitement.

Lust raging through him, Harris quickly

complied. A moan poured from him as Rohan

pushed inside.

“You are so fucking tight,” Rohan growled.

“When’s the last time you had sex?”

19

Amber Kell

Harris opened his mouth.

“Never mind. Don’t tell me. I’d have to snap

the fucker’s neck. No one should have this ass but

me.” Rohan proceeded to show Harris the

wonderful reasons he was right.

Inside, Harris’ bear let out a low growl of

approval. The beast liked the man, this vampire

who fucked like a king and smelled like home.

Harris had the sinking suspicion that he’d found

his mate, and for a man who didn’t like

boundaries, this was the harshest one of all.

Rohan leaned forward and kissed Harris while

he plunged deep inside. His fangs scraped Harris’

mouth and sliced through his bottom lip. The

slight sting caught Harris by surprise.

“Sorry, beloved,” Rohan said. “I didn’t mean to

cut you.”

“Taste me.” The thought of Rohan taking

nourishment from Harris had him on the verge of

coming apart.

Rohan didn’t wait for a second invitation; he

clamped his mouth against Harris’ and sucked at

the wound. Heat surged through Harris, and he

came with a whimper. The only thing that saved

his dignity was Rohan came soon after.

The vampire lifted his mouth and licked his

lips. A new possessiveness glowed in his eyes.

“Oh yes, beloved, you are most definitely mine.”

20

To Bite a Bear

Chapter Two

arris examined his sketch with a careful eye.

H Snatching up his eraser, he glared at the too

thick line.
No, that won’t work.
A heavy-handed

aardvark could do a better job. He growled in

frustration. Ever since he spent a night in Rohan’s

bed, he’d had difficulty focusing. The vampire

filled his thoughts day and night. Two days had

passed since their lovemaking, and Harris had

successfully avoided the vampire ever since.

His concentration was shot, and his usual calm

took a vacation out of town. Growling, he

scrubbed at the line with the rubber square.

“It is fine. Let it be,” a silky-smooth voice came

from behind him.

Manfully, Harris fought back the shiver from

Rohan’s tone. No matter what the vampire said,

Harris’ cock always interpreted Rohan’s words as

an attempted seduction, even when the sexy vamp

wasn’t trying.

21

Amber Kell

Harris turned and raised an eyebrow at Rohan.

“Did you become an artist overnight?”

Rohan grinned, flashing his fangs. “Don’t be

touchy, beloved, erase your little mark if you

must.”

Harris flashed fangs of his own, causing Rohan

to laugh. “I don’t think you want to get into an

incisor contest with a bear,” he taunted.

“Now, I’ve been put in my place, haven’t I? Are

you at a point where you can stop?” Rohan asked.

“Why?” Harris didn’t know what to do about

the vampire. His inner animal whispered that

Rohan was his mate, but Harris wasn’t ready for

anything permanent. As much as he loved the fact

his friends found their other halves, he had years

before he was ready to settle down. Still, he

couldn’t resist Rohan standing so close. His scent

alone had Harris hard and leaking.

Hot vampires with come-fuck-me
eyes easily

distracted Harris. At this rate, he’d be a gray-

muzzled bear before he finished his initial sketch

for the mural.

“I’d like to take you out to dinner,” Rohan said.

Harris tilted his head as he examined the

vampire. “I thought you didn’t eat real food.”

“I can eat it. I just don’t usually bother,” Rohan

replied. “Copper River Salmon just came in.”

22

To Bite a Bear

“And what will you be eating?” Harris tried a

more forthright approach.
What does a vampire

consume beside blood?

“Don’t worry. It’s a vampire restaurant; they

feed all kinds,” Rohan reassured Harris. “You

won’t be required to feed me.”

Harris didn’t know if he considered that a good

or bad thing. Although the initial idea of being a

vampire’s meal didn’t appeal to him, the image in

his head of Rohan biting him had starred in more

than one jerk-off fantasy. Rohan had Harris all

wrapped up in nerves and need, putting into

jeopardy his reputation as a laid-back bear shifter.

So far, Rohan hadn’t bitten Harris, and he still

didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.

“What do you say?” Rohan’s dark eyes

twinkled as if daring Harris to come play.

Sighing, Harris gave in. He couldn’t resist

Rohan when growly and commanding. How

could he resist him in a playful mood? “I’d love

to.”

Good thing vampires were immortal. It might

be a few centuries before Harris finished their

damn mural.

“Don’t worry so much, beloved. You will finish

when you finish. There is no rush,” Rohan said.

“I’ll come get you in two hours.”

His mind still on the vampire, Harris went back

to his work. Whenever life became too

23

Amber Kell

complicated, he could always depend on his art to

take him away from his troubles. Except now,

even with the distraction of a huge mural to finish,

thoughts of Rohan swept through his mind.

Harris hummed as he successfully finished off a

flower. He wondered how Denton was doing with

the landscape business. Harris was supposed to

help the crocodile shifter, but Denton had told him

to stick with his mural. Apparently, Marty had

loaned Denton some of his hawks to keep them

occupied. Without being on the road all the time,

the hawks were restless. Marty worked them hard

to keep them out of trouble.

The hawks’ help had proved a boon for Denton

and Harris’ landscape business, since it freed

Harris to focus on his art. He still did design work

for Denton when needed, but most of his current

energy went toward the vampire mural.

“Still here, I see,” a cold voice interrupted

Harris’ musing.

He turned his head to find one of Rohan’s

vampires watching him with cool green eyes.

“Hello, Vick.”

For some reason, Vick disliked Harris. The

vamp had made it a point to wander by whenever

Rohan wasn’t around to bother Harris. He never

did anything overt, but it was enough of a

distraction that Harris knew the vampire held an

intense dislike for him, and he didn’t know why.

24

To Bite a Bear

He’d started out friendly enough, but the closer

Rohan grew to Harris, the less friendly Vick

became. Harris suspected Vick might have a crush

on the head vamp.

“I hope this is going to improve. We wouldn’t

want some piece of amateurish crap decorating

our house,” Vick sneered and flipped back his

blond hair.

“Feel free to share your opinion with Rohan,”

Harris said. He wouldn’t be bullied. He stood by

his art. Not everyone liked what he did, but Harris

had a solid understanding of his artistic

viewpoint, and anyone who didn’t like it could go

fuck themselves.

Vick faltered for a moment but rebounded fast.

“I don’t want to bother him with domestic issues.

Besides, he’s too infatuated with you to

understand your art is crap.”

Harris didn’t remember moving, but after the

flush of anger passed, he found Vick dangling

from his claws and loud roars pouring from him.

He slammed the vampire against the wall

repeatedly until a familiar deep voice broke

through his rage.

“Harris, beloved, put Vick down.”

Harris snarled. He didn’t want to set down the

vampire. He shook the smaller man a few more

times until he turned a delightful red.

“Now, Harris!” Rohan commanded.

25

Amber Kell

The disapproval in the vampire’s tone had

Harris tossing Vick across the room. The vampire

had gotten him into trouble. Bad vampire!

Harris snarled his displeasure as two other

vampires rushed forward to drag the bad vampire

out of the room.

Rohan stepped forward.

Harris snorted his displeasure.

“Now, don’t be that way. You would’ve felt

horrible after you killed him,” Rohan said.

Harris sincerely doubted it. That vampire