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  His words gave Nell pause, but not enough to want to stop. She’d never responded so completely to a man, never wanted a man so much. She felt in her heart that Brody was someone special to her, even if he was a being totally outside her previous experience.

  The whole concept of shapeshifters still kind of blew her mind, but she’d known Brody for a while now, and in all that time, he’d always been a man she could admire, respect, and definitely want to get to know better. Now was her chance, and she was going to reach out and take it with both hands.

  She was going to reach out and take him with everything she had. The need building inside her would not be denied. And, somehow, she trusted that the future would take care of itself. If they were supposed to be together forever, it would happen.

  She liked the idea a lot. Brody was the kind of man a woman could build a life with. He had all the qualities she admired in a man—and then some. The whole bear thing… Well…even though it was still a little scary, it was also kind of a turn on. All that leashed power was very attractive in an uncivilized, throwback sort of way. Nell hadn’t realized she was so old fashioned, but something about Brody holding all that magic and strength inside him was incredibly attractive.

  He wasn’t hard on the eyes either. Muscles on muscles, Brody had the kind of physique women drooled over. In fact, she and her sisters had noticed how well most of the men in the area were built. It had been the topic of conversation between them, for weeks now. They’d put it up to the rustic setting, and the fact that most of these men worked hard at physical jobs and tasks around town and on their properties. Now Nell knew another facet—they were all shapeshifters who could turn into bears.

  Her sisters would never believe her if she tried to tell them. Smiling inwardly at that thought, she didn’t resist when Brody moved closer. And then, she didn’t have any truly cohesive thoughts for a very long time as he showed her how a shapeshifting man could worship a female body.

  More than that though, she felt like, of the few men she’d been with, Brody was the first one to think more of her comfort than his own. He undressed her as if she was made of some priceless, fragile substance. And when she pushed at his shoulders and fisted her hand in the fabric that still covered him, he took the hint and quickly removed the offending material.

  His skin was hot and only slightly rough against her palms. For a guy who turned into a bear on a regular basis, he wasn’t all that hairy. She loved the feel of his muscles moving under taut skin, and his big hands were as patient with her as she could have dreamed. He was a considerate lover, which was something she’d always looked for in a man. A gentle giant.

  Exactly like Brody.

  She gasped as he cupped her bare breasts, his fingers rubbing her nipples. He teased her skin with deliberate touches that drove her passions higher. Each little lick of his tongue over hers, and his fingers over her breasts, made her want more.

  His mouth moved downward, over her jaw, into the sensitive hollow of her neck and then, lower. His palms positioned her breasts for him to lick and suck. Little noises of pleasure issued from her throat without her conscious volition.

  He lay her back on the table, coming down over her, blanketing her with his warmth. Her remaining clothes disappeared as if they had melted away, and her mind spun as he kissed a trail down over her abdomen and into the warm crevice between her thighs.

  Never in her life had she felt such sensations. Brody played her body like a master, and she suddenly realized that any other sexual experiences she’d ever had could never compare to this moment…to this man. Brody was unique.

  “Mmmm,” he rumbled against her most sensitive spot, making her quiver. He paused and looked up at her, meeting her gaze from between her thighs. “Know something bears really like?” he asked rhetorically, pausing a beat as their gazes held. Then he smiled. “Honey.”

  Leading with his tongue, he renewed his gentle assault, driving her higher until she shattered. She came, and he rode her through it, gentling her and drawing out the climax.

  When her body started warming up again—much to her surprise—he stood and removed his pants, the final barrier between them. The shape and size of him was impressive. She almost laughed, thinking of the way she and her sisters had been speculating about all the hunky guys in town. Based on what she was seeing here, her sisters would have to revise their estimates…up. Way up.

  Brody was hung like a bear. The thought crossed her mind, and then she nearly dissolved in giggles. The only thing that saved her was that, at that very moment, Brody stepped closer once more, tugging her downward on the huge table until her splayed thighs were in the perfect position to receive him.

  And then, all thoughts fled her mind once more as he joined them. Skin to skin. She would think about that later too, once her mind was out of the clouds and back on Earth. For now, though, everything was perfect. Brody was perfect. Big but perfect for her.

  He touched places inside her body—and in her heart, as well—that no man had ever touched before. He filled her, claimed her, and made her his own.

  Even if his bear didn’t think she was his mate, Brody the man was going to have a hard time getting rid of Nell after this. Just let him try. She could be every bit as possessive as a grizzly bear.

  Then he began to move.

  Sweet mother in heaven, Nell wasn’t sure she was going to survive. The pleasure built in slow waves as he began an advance and retreat, like water lapping at the shore. The gentle lapping turned into an ocean current as his motion increased and then into a torrent as they were both swept up in something beyond control.

  The tempest was upon them, pushing her to the height of pleasure, demanding and giving all at the same time. She clung to Brody’s shoulders. He was her one solid presence inside the raging storm. He was her anchor and her rock. He was the one who would protect her and push her beyond all boundaries. He was her lover and, if she had anything to say about it at all, her mate.

  She screamed his name as the crashing wave broke, casting her higher than she had ever gone before. His muscles tightened as her body clenched around him, and together, they rode the gentler waves of completion, held secure in each other’s arms.

  Chapter Nine

  Without saying a word, Brody carried her into the house and back to his bedroom. Something profound had just happened, but he’d be damned if he was going to tell her she was his mate while they were still wrapped up in a quickie on the picnic table. Even if it had been the most earth-shattering quickie of his life.

  He lay her down in his bed, marveling for a moment at how good she looked there. Her body was luscious, curved in all the right places and a perfect fit for him in every way. Much as her personality and sharp mind seemed to mesh with his. She challenged him and fascinated him. Theirs would be a really good match, he’d thought from the first.

  Now he knew his inner bear was on board. All he had to do was tell her…and hope she felt the same.

  It was a tricky business, mating with a human. They didn’t have the same instincts as a shifter. There was no inner furball telling her what must be.

  Brody was taking a big chance here. He was fully committed—but could she be, without the inner beast driving her? He didn’t know, but he’d sure like to spend the rest of his life finding out.

  He settled in the bed next to her, his arm lying over her waist, his legs tangled with hers. He needed the skin contact even as their breathing started to return to normal.

  He felt her move. He looked over to find her leaning up on one elbow, smiling at him.

  “So, what’s the verdict?”

  Brody wanted to laugh. He should have known his Nell would take life by the balls and face whatever would come of their joining head on. He loved the way she didn’t back down.

  He levered himself over her, kissing her and aligning their bodies, reveling in the feel of her softness beneath him. If all went well, he’d feel these sensations for the rest of his life.

 
; But he had to tell her and see what she’d say. He couldn’t put it off any longer, even if he was just a tiny bit afraid of rejection. He had to be a man and face her. If she didn’t want to be his mate, he’d just have to spend the rest of his life finding ways to convince her. He could do that, couldn’t he?

  Brody lifted his head, ending the kiss, and met her gaze.

  “You’re mine, Nell. My mate. Now and forevermore.”

  She gasped but didn’t say anything while his heart climbed quietly into his throat. Why didn’t she say something?

  Finally, she took pity on him. Her smile gave him hope as she leaned closer to whisper against his lips.

  “I like the sound of that. Because you know what? You’re mine too. And I’m not ever letting you go.”

  She sealed her words with a kiss, nearly tackling him with her enthusiasm. She ended up on top this time, and he didn’t mind a bit. She sank down onto his hardness and began a slow, perfect ride that sent his senses soaring.

  He let her do with him what she willed. He was her slave. Her partner. And her protector. Now and forever.

  As that crossed his mind, another thought occurred, and he broke their kiss, taking her by the shoulders to still her movements.

  “Does this mean you’ll marry me?” He had to know she was willing to be his in the eyes of the human world, as well as by shifter standards.

  “You’re asking me this now?”

  She was laughing, her face aglow with the dew of her exertions. He wanted to lick her all over. Her breath came in labored pants as she tried to squirm on him. She had been nearing a peak, and he’d stopped her as his thoughts overcame his instincts.

  “I need to know,” he said softly, hoping she would understand.

  But she was his mate. Of course she understood. He saw the softening of her expression as she looked deep into his eyes. He had the sensation that she could see down all the way into his soul.

  “Yes, Brody. I will marry you. It would be my honor to spend the rest of my life with you and make this house a home.”

  That’s all he needed to hear. He kissed her, rolling with her so he was on top. He took over the work of grinding into her, driving her pleasure as high as he possibly could before he took his own. She came at least three times before he lost count and joined her in bliss.

  He’d found his mate, and she was going to marry him. More than that, she liked his den enough to want to share it with him. Life couldn’t get much better than that.

  It was after they had both come back from the biggest climax yet and were laying side by side in the bed when she spoke again.

  “We’re going to have to tell my sisters, you know.” She sounded both worried and amused.

  He liked the little designs she was tracing over his arm with her finger, absently petting him in a way he knew he would love getting used to over the next several decades. He looked over at her to find her staring at the art he’d painted on his bedroom wall last winter. It was a mural of a grizzly being followed by two cubs. It had been a hopeful bit of whimsy on his part, a dream of what he hoped someday might be in his future. And now, with Nell in his life, he finally had a chance at a family, if the Goddess so blessed them.

  “I’m trying to think how to tell them without scaring them,” Nell went on, oblivious to his deeper thoughts. That was okay. There was plenty of time to discuss both of their hopes and dreams for the future.

  “I’ll have to clear it with the Alpha first,” Brody said, drawing her attention. “I’ll talk to Big John first thing tomorrow.”

  “Do you think he’ll object?” Nell bit her lip, looking adorably worried. Brody leaned over to kiss her, then relented once he felt her tension dissolve.

  “I’ll convince him,” he promised her as he drew back to look at her. “You’ve been here long enough for him to get to know you and your family. I know you can all be trusted, and my counsel counts for a lot with the Alpha. I’m one of his top lieutenants. Which means you’ll have a pretty high rank just by virtue of being my mate. Plus, everybody already knows you’re a total badass, which means you’ve already earned some clout of your own.” He winked at her, and she frowned.

  “Where in the world did you get that idea? I’m no badass.”

  “Are you kidding? That was a direct quote from Lyn after you threw Sig out of your store for coming in stinking of fish guts. You put the fear of Nell into him, and I can tell you Sig doesn’t scare easy.” Brody was laughing as he remembered the incident. “Sig’s a Kodiak when he shifts, which means he’s one big-assed bear. Nobody throws him out of anywhere if he doesn’t agree. Frankly, we were all pretty glad you told him off because most of us wouldn’t have dared tell him to take a shower before he walks around town after one of his week-long fishing trips.”

  She chuckled, and he laughed with her. It was so easy to be with her. They just…fit.

  The Goddess really knew what she was doing when She sent Brody his perfect mate. He had never expected his mate to be human, but he couldn’t argue with the Mother of All’s wisdom. Nell was perfect for him, and he would do all in his power to be the perfect mate for her.

  Chapter Ten

  Brody talked to John the next morning, and as he’d thought, John had only slight reservations about letting the other Baker girls in on their secret. The Alpha was more than pleased by the news that Brody had taken a mate. A big celebration was being planned to commemorate the mating, which John said he hoped was the first of many in their new community.

  But first, Brody had agreed to invite Nell’s sisters to dinner at his home, to break the news of their engagement and talk to them privately about his ability to shapeshift. Brody figured a demonstration would be necessary, but he didn’t mind putting on a show for his sisters-in-law, if it would help them accept the truth. He was a little nervous about how they would react, frankly, and he knew Nell was even more worried.

  He’d given her a key to his home and knew she was spending her afternoon, after her shift at the bakery ended, up at their house. She was getting things ready for their family dinner that night, and Brody loved the way she was making herself at home in the den he had built with his future mate in mind. That she liked the place made something inside him stretch with pride. He’d built a house, and now, the Goddess had blessed him with a mate to make it a home.

  Everything was going along great until that stupid koala got drunk and started waving a gun around the local pub. Brody had to wade in and break up the standoff, taking a shot in the shoulder before he could wrestle the peashooter away from the drunkard. It wasn’t a serious wound, but dragging the koala’s drunk ass down to the station and locking him up ate up precious time.

  Brody was going to be late to the very important dinner he was supposed to be hosting at his den. Nell wouldn’t be happy, and being late wasn’t a good way to impress the in-laws either.

  There was only one way he’d get there on time. Straight through the forest.

  Brody shrugged out of his bloody uniform and left it on the chair in the back of the jail. Shifting to his bear form, he used one paw to open the back door of the jail and made a beeline through the forest at the back of the building, running on all fours toward his den. He could cover a lot more ground a lot quicker in his fur than if he’d had to drive around the long way on the winding road.

  And shifting shape had mostly healed the bullet graze across his arm. He couldn’t do much about the blood until he got a chance to clean up, but at least bleeding had stopped with his shift. The only blood left in his fur now was what had been on his body before he’d changed into his grizzly form.

  He had left his watch and phone behind at the station, but he thought he might just make it before the sisters arrived. He saw his house and made for the side of it, hoping to sneak in from the deck, shapeshift, and clean up a bit before the girls arrived.

  “Brody!” Nell met him in the woods a few yards from the deck, running to him and dropping to her knees to look at his shoulder. �
��John called and said you’d been shot in the arm. Are you okay?”

  She was touching his furry front arm, her hands coming away bloody. There were tears in her eyes, and he knew he had scared her. Dammit. He hadn’t meant to worry her.

  Brody shifted shape right then and there.

  “I’m fine, Nell. It was only a graze, and it healed when I shifted.”

  “But the blood…” She gestured with her faintly red hands.

  “It stopped. Look.” He twisted to present his shoulder to her and waited while she touched him gently, probing the area around the wound, wiping away the residual blood with her fingers.

  They were both still kneeling on the ground, and he urged her to her feet, taking her into his arms.

  “I’m sorry you were scared. John shouldn’t have worried you like that.” He frowned. The Alpha was going to hear about making Brody’s mate cry. The tears in Nell’s eyes bothered Brody. A lot.

  He rocked her gently in his arms. He was stark naked, but as a werebear, he was used to that after a shift.

  “He said you were on your way, but that you’d been shot,” she said, tucking her cheek against his chest. She was trembling, so he held her closer. “I didn’t listen after that. All I could think of was that you were hurt. Thank God you’re okay.” She squeezed him tight, making his heart do a little flip at the undeniable evidence of how much she cared. She loosened her hold and moved back a little, meeting his gaze with teary eyes. “You are okay, right? You didn’t lose too much blood, did you? And the bullet didn’t go in, it just grazed your arm?” She looked at the wound again, as if making sure.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” he assured her, smiling. “I didn’t lose much blood. It was just a scratch, and all evidence of it will be gone by morning. I promise.” He moved his hands to her shoulders. “I’m sorry you were worried. And I’m sorry I was almost late for the big dinner.” He lifted her off her feet and onto the deck, following close behind. “I need to get cleaned up before your sisters arrive.”