Bearly Dated (The Enigma Shifters) Read online

  No problem there.

  "You're kind of in the way."

  A definite leer crossed his face as he sat back on his haunches and waited. Grabbing the bottom edge of her tank top, she swiped it over her head and tossed it to the side. She still had her bra on, but that molten, hungry look in his eyes from before turned downright dangerous. She had a feeling this man was going to set her on fire, after which she would never be the same again.

  She started to reach for her shorts, and he swiped her hand out of the way and did it for her. First the button, then the zipper. He wasn't exactly moving slow, but to her it felt glacial. As she'd predicted, his touch on her bare skin made her so hot and eager she wanted to crawl right out of her skin and into him.

  By the time he got the shorts free from her legs and her panties off, she had to use every ounce of restraint she possessed not to pounce on him.

  It was only after he got her naked and stood on the bed to remove the rest of his clothing, that she thought about the fact they weren't in a dark room in the middle of the night. Daylight streamed through the white curtains and illuminated every curve and bulge of her stomach, hips and thighs. Normally, she wouldn't allow this.

  Not when she preferred the cover of darkness so that he wouldn't have to see all of her imperfections on display. But it was hard to think and act normally when the man stood over her like the god he resembled. Thor had nothing on Carter.

  Hot damn.

  She could see every thick rope of muscle, every line of ink that traversed his torso, hips and thighs. She swallowed thickly against the knot in her throat. There were no words for the spectacle looking down at her.

  The muscles she'd expected. The ink she did not, and on him, the combination of the two was downright lethal. That initial pressure she'd experienced in her core had turned into a tingle between her legs that said if she didn't get his mouth or cock or something soon, she was going to explode.

  Of course, that didn't just turn her on, it made her bolder than ever before as she slowly spread her legs.

  "Jesus, Violet. Are you trying to kill me?" His eyes devoured every inch of her, and maybe that did make her blush, but that still only made the want and need ratchet higher. "But if you like that bra, you should probably remove it quick before I shred it from your body."

  That sexy threat sent a hard swoop through her belly. He had just the right amount of filthiness and caring to set her off. Thank God or some genius manufacturer for making her favorite bras with a front closure. She popped it open and let the garment fall open.

  "Fuuuuuck." He fell forward, catching himself with his arms before slamming into her but not stopping his mouth from capturing a nipple and sucking hard.

  Exactly. Right now, she felt like she'd won the freaking lottery. "Oh my God, Carter," she shrieked.

  "Mmhmm," he mumbled against her skin, not letting go. The man seemed pretty determined to drive her crazy. He switched to her other breast and repeated the alternating licks and sucks until she literally writhed underneath him.

  "I can't take it."

  He lifted his head and looked down at her. "Yes, you can. Besides, I'm just getting started."

  She groaned. He'd lit a fire inside her that no doubt would actually burn her alive. That had not been a joke.

  But if she thought his touch at her breast was unbearable, she nearly jumped to the sky when he reached between them and ran a finger along the inside of her thigh.

  That touch sparked a tremble that shook both thighs uncontrollably. If she was about to die now, what the heck would happen when he actually made love to her? She feared it was too much and clawed at his arms for more.

  Carter suddenly released her breast and slammed his lips against hers on a deep growl. "Mine," he whispered harshly, his tone downright gravelly now.

  That word should have scared her. It did scare her. The intensity was so much, so fast. But there were no words that would stop it. Not when she ached for him to take her.

  "Make love to me, Carter. Please." Everything stopped. His hand at the apex of her thighs. His chest pressed into her breasts, rubbing at her nipples, and his teeth grazed her jaw.

  "Those are pretty words. Too pretty for what I want to do to you right now." As if to punctuate the meaning of his words, he ground his hard cock between her thighs, hitting her in just the right spot."

  "Oh Gosh, Yes!" The air left her lungs with those words, and her vision blurred black around the edges. If he did that again she was going to...

  She was so wet for him, she feared embarrassing herself. Despite that, her nails dug into his arms, and she shot forward and sank her teeth into his pec. Her hips bucked and rolled until she found him perfectly poised at her entrance.

  "Do it." she cried, desperation driving her. "Please." She almost cried from the sheer force of need rolling through her. Never in her life had it been like this.

  To her delight, he didn't make her wait—he slowly fed his cock inside her one inch at a time. Her body stretched to what felt like its limits to accommodate him. Good God, the man was so big. When he hesitated, she wondered if he was fully in.

  "Not there yet, baby. Almost." The intensity of his gaze burned fire through her. "But you're so damned tight. Can you take it?"

  Could she? "Yes." She didn't wait for her brain to answer. She didn't want to think about all of the emotions rolling through her. It would be better all around if she just focused on the sensations. And damn. Was it possible to die from sex that was too good? Because if so, she was screwed.

  Carter pulled back and with one hand on her hip he drove forward to the hilt. "Had to do it," he said his body trembling above her. "Couldn't take another second more without being fully inside you. It's—it's..."

  He didn't have to finish whatever he'd been about to say. She completely agreed. One thousand percent. One hundred thousand percent. When he did it again, and on the next stroke, bumped her clit, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body exploded.

  Her breath hitched and she swore her heart froze as well. For a few long seconds, every muscle in her body screwed down tight until they finally broke free. Her scream tore through the room as she trashed and bucked underneath him. Later, when she tried to remember what happened next, there would be nothing but the exhausted happy haze that stole over her shortly after he roared above her, spilling his release and filling her with warmth.

  It took a while, but eventually, her breathing returned to normal. She took slow breaths, while wondering what the hell had just happened. Not only was she not a screamer, but nothing even close to this had ever happened before. The intense sensation of closeness she suddenly felt with this beautiful man unnerved her. She didn’t know how to explain it. She only knew something important had passed between them, and it was going to change everything from this point forward.

  Carter pressed a series of kisses to her face and jaw as both their aftershocks sent unexpected pleasure rushing through her.

  "Is it always like this?" she whispered, still somewhat breathless.

  His entire body jerked at her question, including his cock, causing her to gasp from another shock of deliciousness that caught her off guard.

  "No." He nuzzled her neck and then kissed the raw skin where his beard had rubbed her jaw and neck in the frenzy of making love. Although he'd said those words were too pretty, they sounded perfect to her.

  "I'm sorry if I was too rough. You were so tight on me, babe. I lost my mind. Were you a virgin?"

  "What? No?" The sudden realization that he thought that brought on the embarrassment she should have felt earlier when he'd been initially looking at her naked in the light of day. She pushed at his chest and tried to push him off of her, but he didn't budge. Apparently, he wasn't going anywhere until he was good and ready. And that included leaving the clasp of her body. "Why would you ask that?"

  Forget embarrassment. They were rushing headlong into humiliation.

  "Already told you, babe. Never felt tig
ht like that before."

  Part of her wanted to die from the crude intimacy of his words and part of her wanted to stand up and dance a celebratory cheer. Was he implying that sex with her was the best he'd ever had? A man that looked like him? That could not be possible. "I was definitely not a virgin, but--"

  He covered her mouth before she could continue. "Don't. No is the only answer I can take. Any other details, and my bear will for sure lose his mind, and I can't be responsible for what happens after that."

  "Wait. Did you just say your bear?" she choked before dissolving into a fit of coughs that made it impossible to breathe.

  "Whoa. Easy," he said quietly while slipping gently from her body.

  As he rolled off of her, her breath returned, and she was faced with the reality that she immediately missed him on top of her and inside of her. That was quite a strange departure for her. Sex had always been awkward and despite the boldness she'd felt with him, it wasn't something she did often. There was something about him that made it different.

  Her sister's words came back to her:

  The shifter world is unique, Violet. Fate seems to take a hand in matching up mates.

  "That's not different than humans. People just don't usually think about it like that. But it's called love at first sight, and it happens more often than you think. Even for couples that don't hook up right away. When a man meets the woman he is destined to be with forever, his aura changes."

  Savannah had rolled her eyes and Jami shook her head. "We aren't talking about the mystical, Violet. This is science."

  Violet laughed at them both. "You keep telling yourself that."

  She turned and looked at him, searching for a sign that his aura had changed or that anything at all had happened. It figured, the moment when she could have used some crystals for something important, she didn't have any with her. She'd left some of her things behind at Jami's place so they wouldn't get lost or damaged in the construction, but the bulk of supplies she would need for a proper reading were still in Texas.

  "How far away is a crystal shop?" She scrambled from the bed and went in search of her clothes.

  "A crystal what?" he asked.

  "You know. A metaphysical shop." When she cast him a glance and found him staring at her like an alien speaking a foreign language, she sighed. "I know this is a small town, but surely you've heard of tarot cards, crystals, and incense? Spiritual healing, and things like that?"

  "Vaguely." He still looked confused. "I don't know any stores around here that sell stuff like that. You probably have to order online. But what does that have to do with--"

  "You said your bear."

  "Figure of speech?" The fact he phrased it as a question gave her the clear indication that he knew exactly what he meant. She jammed her legs into her shorts and fastened them around her waist. She'd given up on finding her panties.

  "I know what you meant, so you don't have to pretend. My sister lives in Enigma with a dragon. Although I can't believe those words just came out of my mouth, because until now, I wasn’t sure I believed them. Talk about surreal, you know? Anyways, she recently explained shapeshifters, and while I struggled to believe it for a minute, I guess I kind of came around more than I’d thought. I mean, I know my sister's not crazy. It's just the part about me not being quite human that I'm struggling with and why I needed to get away, and that's how I ended up out here in a cabin in the woods, starting a remodeling project."

  Oh boy, now she had a case of the word vomits. This was going well. Now she was going to find out just how fast a bear could run in 3...2...1.

  8

  How in the hell had they gone from having the best sex of his life to…this?

  It was his fault. He'd stupidly brought up his bear. Who by the way, was making it real clear that he didn't like seeing her in whatever this panic mode was.

  "What did you mean by ‘kind of came around’?" Since she seemed hell bent on getting dressed, and the chance of getting back inside her again in the next five minutes looked slim, he figured he might as well get dressed, too. He snagged his pants from the floor, stood, and shoved his legs into them. He zipped them up but didn't bother with the button. With any luck, they'd hash this out and be back in bed before long.

  "I don't know many people who would hear the words shapeshifter and think, oh yeah, cool, what’s for dinner?" She swiped her tank top over her head and for a moment, he mourned the loss. Her tits were fantastic, and he definitely needed more time with them.

  "So you didn't believe, at first?"

  "Of course I didn't. Who would? But the information was coming from Jami. She's my practical sister. If it had been Savi, my other womb sister, I would have laughed it off, because she's nuts half the time anyway. We may be triplets, but we couldn't be more different from each other if we tried. And from an outsider's perspective, we may not look as close as we actually are. So when Jami tells me there are shapeshifters in the world and that we have something not exactly human in our DNA, I'm inclined to believe her. After I get over the shock, of course."

  "Of course." He already knew quite a bit about Jami's sisters, as dossiers on each of them had been assembled as soon as the clan found out about them. And apparently, Violet was the one who read tea leaves or some shit. He'd skimmed the files, but not paid close attention. He'd chosen to defer that to Jax as the clan leader and instead keep his focus on the town and keeping their lives as safe as possible, in case of trouble.

  “I’m still pretty confused about this psychic power stuff that my sister keeps talking about. We’re supposed to see future events before they happen, but that hasn’t been my experience. I have had some scary dreams, but they are way too wild to be real.”

  His chest squeezed at the idea of her suffering through scary dreams. He wanted to push her for more, but he felt a little like he was tiptoeing through a mine field. He definitely didn’t want to blow shit up. Although the bear was already pushing for him to do whatever it took to protect her.

  “There’s also supposed to be some sort of clan of people that are like us, but they don’t seem that interested in me or my sisters. Maybe if our dad hadn’t died, we wouldn’t be so confused right now.”

  “There are actually a few clans around the mountains, and they all seem to be assholes. It’s why we separated from them. Bears have control issues, and we don’t need some clan council trying to tell us what to do.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “I’m not as privy as my brother to the inner workings of the other clans, since dealing with politics is his job, not mine, but if we tried to live by the kind of rules they try to enforce, such as not mating outside our species, our bears would rampage. They can only be confined so much.”

  “Kind of reminds me a little of how it is with my sisters and me. We’re close, but we’re so different. It causes strife.”

  "Growing up as a triplet must have been different. I have lots of brothers and a sister, but none of us were born together. We're pretty close, but we also get on each other's nerves a lot. I trust them, and we have each other's backs. But if I were in your shoes and learned something as shocking as the existence of shapeshifters, it might have had me questioning their judgement as well."

  "I'm glad you see my point. Jami and Savi fought me pretty hard on leaving. But when I need space, I need space."

  "So what does any of that have to do with you wanting to find a crystal shop?" He still didn't get the connection.

  "I—uhm—I kind of can't read your aura without my crystals and it's bugging me. I could try with some new ones, but until they are properly charged, they still might not help."

  He nearly choked. "My aura? Why in the—" He couldn't even find the right words for something like that.

  He watched her turn at least three shades of red, and while it was damned cute, he still didn't understand. He tried to wait for her to tell him something, but he wasn't the most patient person, and his bear was even worse.


  "Violet," he warned on a light growl.

  "It's stupid. And I shouldn't be making any assumptions. I don't want to say it."

  And that's where she stopped again. When he raised his brows and shot her a look, she turned her head and looked out the window.

  This all seemed odd considering how forthcoming she'd been about having sex with him. She'd not been shy about any of that. If he had a clue about crystals, he might be willing to let her off the hook, but as it stood, he knew nothing and couldn't even make an educated guess about what was going on in her head.

  All of this back and forth just made the need to be closer to her stronger. He walked around the bed to where she stood, reached for her, and brushed a lock of short hair behind her ear. The after-sex look she had going on made her look pixie-like, with her hair sticking up at different angles, and the row of ear studs that winked and sparkled in the dappled light coming in through the windows. And her pale skin served as an ethereal contrast to the rest of her.

  It mesmerized him.

  There was still so much he didn't know about her. The connection was strong. The sex was absolutely amazing. But it wasn't enough. He needed to know everything about her.

  “Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it. I’m eager to get to know you more.”

  “Isn’t it a little late for that? You and I have—uhh—have been as intimate as two people can be.”

  He waggled his brows. “Maybe,” he offered. “Although I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. But that’s not what I meant."

  She laughed softly and the light sound of that grabbed him by his freaking balls. Something in his chest tightened, and the anxiety of the bear constantly trying to break free eased a little. That part of him wasn't always easy to control and it seemed her distress had amplified it to an intense level.

  "I think I was jumping to conclusions. Maybe I need to slow it down. But I guess you should know that I do like to dabble in the mystic arts. Crystals, tea leaves—although I mostly prefer to drink my tea rather than read it—and the occasional tarot reading. I also use certain herbs to ward off bad vibes and I like essential oils for health and wellness. It's not that big of a deal really. Crystals, however, are my favorite. Every living being has a layer of energy that surrounds them, and seeing the colors of that can tell a lot about a person. Sometimes, I can see the colors without the crystals, which in hindsight might have been unusual, but with you… I can sense the energy like a vibration, but I can’t see it. So I need my crystals."