Bear Essentials (7 page)

“That’s it, baby, lick me.”

Settling on her knees, Roslyn used a hand to stroke the
length of his cock as she sucked. His harsh breath drove her to faster motions
of her hand. His hips jerked with little thrusts that begged for more of her mouth.
She nibbled and teased the head of his cock before closing her lips around it
once again.

He suddenly pulled her head away from his stiff cock. It was
swollen and red, jutting out from his belly like a spear. The walls of her
passage ached for it to stretch her open once again.

“I can’t wait to spread you out in my bed.”

He lifted her from the floor and moved her to his bed.
Granger lowered her onto his bed.

“The scent of your pussy is driving me insane.”

He gently squeezed her breasts before he pressed the nipples
between thumb and forefinger. Pleasure shot down her spine as the bed dipped
under his weight. He lowered his head until he captured one nipple between his
lips. It was almost too hot, but the pleasure spiked with the heat as she
arched her back to offer herself to his mouth. The tip of his tongue flickered
over the nub as she twisted and offered her hips towards him.

“I need you.”

His head lifted as he fingered the edge of her panties. His
eyebrow lifted as one finger scraped under the satin.

“You wax?” Her mons was smooth. Not a single hint of
stubble. It was soft and delicate, his finger easily slipped into the slit that
hid her clit.

“Well, my hair is naturally curly and it gets hard to deal
with.”

He fingered her little nub, making her groan. He rubbed it
and set off a frantic twitching of her hips.

“I’m going spend hours just eating you out.” Her eyes flew
open. Need blazed from them as she pressed her hips towards his hand yet again.
Her breath came in tiny pants as desire gripped her hard.

“Please, I can’t wait, I need you again!”

“I don’t want to rush into fucking you again.” His voice was
strained.

“At least we’re naked this time,” she teased him in a sultry
voice. “And in a bed.”

“Temptress,” he accused. “I haven’t repaid the favor you did
me yet.” He stroked up the inside of her thigh, pushing it away from her pussy.
“And I have every intention of discovering what you taste like.”

The folds of her sex were opening as he spread her wide. He
moved down her body, hovering for a moment over her center.

“No one has…um…ever…”

He looked up her body. “Lucky me.”

“You can’t mean that.”

He pressed his thumb into the opening of her pussy, sending
a jolt of sensation through her. “I swear I do.”

He didn’t give her a chance to question him further. He
lowered her attention to her spread slit, the flames from the fireplace bathing
his back in crimson. She felt the touch of his warm breath against her wet clit
and it sent a crazy twist of excitement through her. But he didn’t taste her
just yet. He drew his thumb out of her and stroked up the center of her sex. It
was a long, slow torment that delighted as much as it fed the anticipation
drawing her insides tight. Her clit throbbed, feeling more sensitive with every
millimeter he came closer to touching it.

“Granger…I don’t think I can handle this. I need—”

“To let me show you what a good lover does when you’re both
naked on Valentine’s Day.”

Oh God, he was her lover…

And a moment later, he licked her clit.

The first touch of tongue on her tender parts was
shattering. She twisted, unable to stay still. He pressed her back onto the
bed, holding her flat with one large hand spread out on her belly.

He teased her clit again, using just the tip of his tongue.
The need to climax tormented her, but there wasn’t enough friction to send her
over the edge into mindless pleasure.

“So smooth and soft.” He stroked one side of her slit and
then the other before circling the opening of her pussy. “I’m going to enjoy
dining on this.”

He closed his mouth around her clit, sucking it gently. She
clawed at the bedding, arching up to gain the pressure she craved. Time stopped
moving. She lost complete track of everything except the milking of her clit.
Every muscles she had drew tight and then taut, until she felt as if she might
snap like a brittle twig. In that last moment, he increased the pressure and
thrust two fingers into her pussy.

Climax whipped through her like a whip snapping. It was
sharp and so intense, she felt as if she was losing her grip on consciousness.

But she opened her eyes as her lover lifted his face and
aimed an expression of pure victory at her.

“Now that, dear Roslyn, is what a waxed pussy is for.”

She licked her dry lips. “I’m going to get it lasered.”

He chuckled, the sound full of promise. “You might have to
lock me in a cock box during the recovery period.”

He reached for the bedside table and pulled a box of condoms
from the drawer. “But I’m going to get a blood test to prove I’m clean and
you’re going to go on the Pill so I can fuck you bare.”

She should have had something to say about him telling her
what to do with her body but she was frantic for him again. He sheathed his
erection and she opened her arms in invitation.

Roslyn lifted her hips off the bed as the hard tip of his
length touched her. The head slipped in as she moved, making her groan with
pleasure. His thrust sent that hard erection into her core as she collapsed
back to the surface of the bed and bounced back up off it.

The pleasure seemed to intensify with each thrust. She writhed
beneath him as she clawed at the sheet under her. It was hard and deep, making
her scream with delight each time his body penetrated hers. Climax hit her hard
as her partner shuddered deeply inside her.

His head landed on her breasts. His elbows caught his weight
as his lungs labored to keep up with his heart rate.

“I’m not sure if you are going to kill me with the way you
make me want to get inside you, Roslyn, but I know I’m going to die happy if
you do.”

Granger lifted his head and looked into her face.

“I know that wasn’t the most romantic phrasing.”

“I think I enjoyed it.”

His lips pressed into a hard line as he shot her a
suspicious look.

She offered him a slow smile. “I know I’m going to enjoy
your attempts to cheat death.”

One dark eyebrow rose. “I jog.”

He rolled onto his back, pulling her along with him. The bed
bounced as he settled his larger body against the mattress and smoothed her
head down onto his chest.

“Tease. Sweet, tempting tease.” His finger threaded through
her hair as a yawn caught her off guard. She was completely relaxed, not a
worry in her head. Their bubble of contentment didn’t appear to allow anything
like common sense to invade with all the reasons why she shouldn’t just nap in
his embrace. It felt so good. Warm and secure and her heart embraced it
completely without a shred of doubt surfacing to cloud her happiness.

Chapter Five

Roslyn slept like a baby. She nuzzled the warm pillow
beneath her cheek before her nose told her it didn’t smell like her bed. Her
eyes lifted to show her the bare chest of the man who had shared the night with
her.

A lazy smile covered her face. Granger’s face was relaxed in
sleep. She studied him before pushing out of the bed. Her body immediately
protested her moving. Her passage ached, making each step a slightly painful
endeavor.

She just needed to work the stiffness out. Her face heated
with the idea of anything stiff. It had been something very hard and large that
was responsible for making her sore.

She felt like giggling, but pressed her lips together as she
reached for her discarded dress. Pulling it over her head, she secured the ties
at the back and found her underwear where it had been tossed the night before.
She cast another look at her lover. His chest rose and fell in slow motion. She
slipped out the bedroom door and closed it quietly behind her. The
air-conditioning was on, making her frown as she recognized the difference in
their lifestyles. Granger didn’t think twice about the electric bill heading
his way. He was snuggled down beneath a comforter, when she would have left the
windows open and used only a quilt. She only used her air conditioner when the
southern California sun heated things up to over ninety.

She wandered down the hallway, raising her eyebrows at the
light tone of the carpet. Impractical. It would show dirt far too easily. But
there wasn’t a single sign of wear anyplace. That made her frown. Sure, a home
should be well kept, but it should also look as if it was lived in. Granger’s
place was almost sterile, like a museum where you needed to be under control,
avoiding too many emotions. It didn’t fit with her memory of last night.

Tease…

A smile brightened her face as she realized what she had
that he didn’t—a playful spirit. She was like a pixie that he’d never believed
in before. The idea made her hum as she found the kitchen and began rummaging
about. The sparkling shelves inside the refrigerator only made her shake her
head. A half-gallon of milk, eggs and one pound of butter were the only things
in the large unit. It was far worse than a bachelor apartment. It was a place
where a man laid his head, but didn’t really live. Life was full of the
unexpected. There was frustration along with the jumble of variety, but that
was what made the heart sing. Granger just needed someone to start the band
playing.

Now there was an idea worth considering.

Coffee.

Granger opened his eyes the second that rich aroma touched
his nose. Hot java was the way to start his morning. But there were more smells
floating around his bed, making him blink his eyes to clear sleep away. Simple
smells of breakfast made his stomach rumble as he discovered Roslyn balancing a
serving platter of some kind that she’d decided to use as a serving tray.

No girlfriend had ever cooked for him. Granger felt a silly
grin covering his lips as she smiled and climbed back onto the bed with him.
She set the tray between them as he pushed a few pillows against the headboard
and leaned against them.

“I would have ordered us something.”

“Why?” Roslyn wrapped her fingers around a hot mug and
selected a toasted English muffin from her tray. Granger was already digging
into the breakfast fare like a starving man. “But you need to go grocery
shopping. Your refrigerator is bare.”

“My housekeeper insists on putting stuff in there. She must
have bought this, because I never eat here.”

“Never?” Her suspicions were confirmed as she watched him
look at her sad little plate of toast and eggs as if it were a feast.

“Don’t cook,” he announced with a shrug.

“This house is really nice, but you have to use it in order
for it to become a home.” She smiled over the rim of her coffee mug. “My mom
used to say that.”

A phone began ringing for attention. Roslyn looked at the
modern office sitting right next to the master bed. There was another room that
had a double-wide entrance open between the bedroom and an office. It should
have been a master-bedroom retreat, instead it was a business tycoon’s lair.
Granger groaned.

“Damn phone has no sense of timing.” He frowned, but
remained in place as he sipped the coffee again. “I’ve spoiled my clients. They
are used to getting me anytime they call.”

The phone stopped ringing as his voice mail system picked
up.

“Have dinner with me tonight.”

His face was etched with determination as he set his coffee aside.
The bed rocked as he plucked the plate of food off the rumpled blanket and set
it next to his mug on the bedside table. A little shriek rose from her lips as
he grabbed her coffee too. When he turned back to face her after setting it on
the bedside table, his face was full of boyish mischief. He wiggled his fingers
as he flopped onto his belly to capture her.

The bed rocked as they tussled, rolling across the tangled
sheets in a laughing jumble of limbs. Granger rolled her beneath his large
frame, pinning her on her back. His legs pressed her thighs apart as he leaned
down so that his breath brushed her lips.

“Tell me you’ll have dinner with me tonight.”

The head of his cock slipped between the folds of her slit.
A groan rose from him as he pulled his hips back. “Tell me to forget the
condom.” His eyes were bright with need as he framed her head with his hands.

“Tell me the idea of getting married and having babies isn’t
a fate worse than death in your opinion.”

His voice broke, betraying the fact that he’d heard just
that from too many women in the past.

“I love family. But I’ve got to warn you, the color scheme
in this house is not toddler friendly. Besides, we just met.”

The phone started ringing again. Granger groaned before
placing a hard kiss against her mouth. His tongue thrust deep, stroking hers as
he held her head in place for the invasion. Sensation spread across her skin,
drawing her nipples taut.

“So change the colors.”

His gaze looked hopeful. It was so tempting. He flashed her
a grin before rising off her. “I guess you’re right about the timing. I’ll
invest a few more days in trying to sweep you off your feet.”

He left the bed, taking his coffee with him. Roslyn indulged
herself in watching his nude body move across the carpeting.

“Just a few days? Lucky me.”

He shot her a glance over the rim of his coffee mug. “I
think I was born in the wrong century. I want to keep you. Like some prize of
feuding families.” One dark eyebrow rose as the phone began ringing again.
“Tonight?”

His hand was poised over the ringing phone as he waited for
her to answer. Maybe he couldn’t keep her in the modern era, but the fact that
he was placing her answer above his incoming call meant a whole lot.

“Tonight.” Rolling out of the bed, she enjoyed the way his
eyes followed her. Heat flickered across his face as he pressed his lips into a
firm line.

“The day is too damn long. Who made the day so long anyway?”
He picked up a set of car keys and tossed them to her.

“I can’t take your car.” She’d never driven anything so
expensive.

“I’m just trying to make sure you don’t chicken out on
tonight because you get back to your plant and remember that good girls don’t
commit on the first date.”

“Except among feuding families.”

He laughed at her and his face transformed. The man was at
ease and she decided he looked damn good that way.

“Works for me, I’ll tie you to the bed until you contract
whatever that syndrome is that causes kidnap victims to fall in love with their
captors.”

Roslyn put the keys against her chest in a protective
gesture. “I have a business to run too.”

His gaze sharpened with respect. “I love that about you.”

The phone rang and he silenced it by picking it up. His
voice was rich and deep as he slid into his world. He bent over a computer as
he spoke on that line, his attention shifting towards his work.

A little hum came from her lips as she went towards the
front door. A man like Granger had his life and so did she.

But the day dawned, and with it, reality. There were bills
to pay and orders to fill. Her own goals and responsibilities awaited, just as
Granger’s did.

She made her way into the garage and stared at the three
cars. She’d been babying her truck for the last year and she didn’t think any
of Granger’s cars was more than a year old. But he respected her. That was
worth more than she could express, especially when she considered just how
impulsive she’d behaved. It conflicted with all the rules she’d been raised
with. Good girls didn’t kiss on the first date.

They’d done a hell of a lot more.

But she wasn’t sorry.

She climbed into the sedan and adjusted the seat and
mirrors.

It was time to go back to the patterns of life that would
make the memory of last night so much dearer.

A few more days of seduction?

Well, that was an idea sure to drive her insane before noon.

A smile sat on her face as she contemplated it.

Maybe fate wasn’t so bad after all.

* * * * *

“Ms. Gregory! Look at what the handsome man has sent you!”

Marta’s words came through a huge bouquet of flowers. The
woman’s face was completely hidden as she brought it into Roslyn’s work studio.
She put it down and beamed at the large display. All white, there were mums,
carnations and baby’s breath.

“I think maybe you should marry this one. He has taste.”
Marta winked at her as she went back to the warehouse. Roslyn stuck her nose
next to the flowers and inhaled.

There was nothing like fresh flowers! A little card stuck up
in the center. Breaking the seal, she looked at the message.

I’ll go grocery shopping, if you’ll cook.

The invitation lifted her heart as she went back to work.
Five hours later, she had two men bring a table into the office. Flowers
arrived every hour, on the hour. Each arrangement was a different color and
every card said exactly the same thing. A ridiculous smile sat on her face as
she looked at the seventh delivery as it came through the door.

“You better marry this one for sure. He’s crazy about you.”

“Maybe he’s just crazy.” The bill from the florist must be
unspeakable.

“But he is a man, trust me, they never make any sense.” Marta
laughed as she went back to work. Roslyn shook her head. Maybe she was the
insane one. There wasn’t a single bit of regret in her. Instead, all she seemed
to think about was the way Granger had danced around in the bear suit. The way
he growled when he didn’t like her denying him. Heat flooded her face every
time she thought about his promise to eat her out.

Her eyes flew to the clock on her desk as she suddenly
dropped her pencil. It was six thirty! Granger would arrive at seven, she was
certain.

Why are you certain?

It was the logical thing to think. But the tableful of
flowers defied rational thought. The colorful blossoms were the thing of
fairytales and happy endings.

Actually, she was more sure than she had ever been. It was a
feeling in her gut and in her heart. Questioning it felt wrong. Foolish? Maybe
but only fools fell in love.

She flew down the hallway and into her apartment at the back
of the warehouse.

Roslyn let a naughty grin cover her face as she pulled open
the top drawer of her dresser. She looked at the three sets of lingerie and
chose the green set tonight. This set had a split crotch, and for the first
time, she just might put it to use! Excitement rippled through her as she
dressed. There was no matching the feeling that surged through her. It was
hope. Something every girl dreamed of when she got flowers from a man.

* * * * *

He brought her more flowers. Roslyn laughed as she took
another bouquet into her arms.

“Enough flowers! The florist is going to think you are
hitting on her.”

Granger tossed his head back and laughed. His eyes sparkled
when he opened them again. “Not a chance, she thinks I’m hooked and taken.”

“Thank you, but you didn’t have to send them.”

Granger stepped forward and caught her chin with one hand.
All traces of amusement were gone as he looked into her eyes.

“We skipped a few steps of courting yesterday. I wanted to
make up for them, because I don’t want to wait and I’m not going to slow down.”
His eyes were serious as they held hers. “You didn’t say no this morning.”

He liked it too. She saw it reflected in his eyes as he held
her chin steady.

“So I decided to bombard you with flowers.” He released her
jaw and shrugged. “Only because I couldn’t tell the world to piss off while I
dragged you back to bed in order to cloud your judgment with sexual pleasure
designed to bind you to me.”

“I’m impressed.” She laughed at the scowl on his face. His
finely tailored suit made her snicker again as she noticed how out of place it
was in her warehouse.

“You’d better be.” He glared at her amusement before picking
up the head of the Wish Bear suit. He tossed it between his hands a few time
before grinning past a fuzzy ear at her.

“When’s the next appearance?”

The look of anticipation on his face sobered her. Tears
stung her eyes as she stared at the boyish glee shimmering from his gaze. He
chuckled at her response, replacing the head on the work table.

“What’s wrong, honey? Don’t you think I can appreciate you?”
His amusement faded as he stared at her. “You opened my eyes, baby.”

He captured her hand and pulled her into his embrace. “But
I’m still a jerk because I won’t wait for any sort of dating time frame to
pass. I want to drag you home right now because I too damn scared that some
other guy will notice you. It isn’t romantic, but I swear I’ll kick the ass of
any other man you let wear that bear suit. It’s mine.”