Brave Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (BRIDES fur BEARS Book 2) (6 page)

Ne-ma was sporting a chic
pixie cut, and she looked stylish and elegant. “You look
great, Ne-ma!” Serena blurted out.

“I know.” Ne-ma
beamed and patted her hair.

“I told her to change
her hairstyle eons ago,” Gramma said rolling her eyes. “How
do you like my new highlights?” Gramma asked, showing off the
pink and blue streaks in her hair.

“They're very groovy.”
Jax grinned.

The two witches grinned back
and went to Ashley. “This is our great-grandson, Jeremy,”
Gramma said, putting the lion cub down on the floor. “He's
really excited to meet you, but he's being very naughty. He refuses
to change back into human form.”

“H-hi, Jeremy,”
Ashley stammered.

Jeremy growled and sniffed at
Ashley. With another growl, he shifted to human form. A young boy
with light brown hair and an impish face stood in front of Ashley.
He was about Ashley's age but he was a little shorter than her.
“What are you?” he demanded. “You smell funny.”

“Jeremy!” Gramma
and Ne-ma snapped at him.

But Ashley didn't back away.
Instead, she kicked her chin up and said, “I'm a fire demon.”

The little boy's eyes
rounded. “You are?” He flashed a grin suddenly.
“Cool!”

Ashley turned to smile
happily at her mother and Serena exhaled a shaky breath as she smiled
back. Her little girl was going on her first play date. Gramma and
Ne-ma told her that their great-grandson, Jeremy was attending
kindergarten and it might be good if Ashley had a friend in school.
Jeremy's parents, Jackson and Harper Gray, had agreed to the play
date and they had dropped by the day before to introduce themselves
to Serena and Ashley.

They were a wonderful couple.
Jackson was a bear shifter, but he had adopted Harper's son and it
was obvious that Jackson adored his wife and son.

“Come on,” Gramma
said, holding out her hand to Jeremy. “Your mom's waiting.”

“Jeremy's mom has
prepared cupcakes and sandwiches for you, Ashley,” Ne-ma said
as she took Ashley's hand. “Shall we go?”

Ashley nodded and walked to
the door with Ne-ma. As she put on her shoes, Serena asked softly,
“Are you sure you don't want me to come with you, darling?”

“I'm sure, Mummy. I
can go by myself. I want to,” Ashley answered confidently.
She turned and ran back suddenly to give Serena and Jax a big hug
each. “Bye, Mummy! Bye, Uncle Jax!”

“All right then. Have
fun,” Serena said, kissing her daughter's dark hair.

Ne-ma squeezed Serena's
shoulder and whispered, “Don't worry, we'll be with them the
whole time.”

Jeremy was eyeing Ashley,
sizing up his new playmate. “I'll race ya to the car,”
he challenged.

Ashley gasped and rushed
after him. The two children scrambled into Gramma's little car and
began to squabble. Gramma tooted the horn, and she and Ne-ma waved
at them before driving away.

Serena wrapped her arms
around herself and watched the small car bounce down the street. She
knew that Gramma and Ne-ma were right. It was good for Ashley to be
on her own and be confident around other kids. She would have to
hold her own against Jeremy, a smart-mouthed, rambunctious
five-year-old. She would be meeting kids like him in her new
kindergarten.

She had to stop worrying,
fearing and fretting. Her little girl was growing up, growing into
her own person. As long as Ashley was safe and happy, she should let
go so that Ashley could learn more about herself and her world.

But it was just so hard.

Jax came to put his arm
around her shoulders. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” She
sighed and closed the door.

“Don't worry. Ashley
is in good hands. The Gray family are good people. They will take
good care of her. And Ashley will have made a new friend before she
starts kindergarten next week. It's all good.”

“I know, I know. I
have to learn to let go.”

Jax took both her hands in
his. “But when it comes to the ones you love, you can never
fully let them go,” he said huskily.

He pulled her closer and she
gravitated towards him, suddenly aware that they were alone in the
house. It was a Sunday, and Marcus, Staci and Joshua were out.

There was just the two of
them. And when Jax leaned in to kiss her, she almost forgot to
breathe as the whole world receded from them.

Time seemed to stand still,
and nothing else mattered.

They were in each other's
arms, and it felt so right, so perfect.

“Serena,” Jax
whispered as his huge hands circled her waist and pulled her flush
against him.

CHAPTER
FIFTEEN

Serena returned Jax's kisses
with equal fervor and ardor. She pushed her fingers through his soft
black hair as she moaned against his lips. She had almost forgotten
how good it felt to have someone hold her and love her.

Jax was sweet, sexy and
protective. She had instinctively known that he was a good man the
moment she looked into his eyes through his car window. Her heart
had whispered to her to trust him, and for once, she listened to her
heart.

Jax and his family had been
so supportive and warm. They accepted Ashley and her into their home
and treated them as one of their own. They even roped in Gramma,
Ne-ma and the entire Gray family to help them.

Serena was deeply, deeply
touched. She hadn't had such love and support in a long, long time.
Her old neighbor, Mrs Huang, had been an angel to her, but she had
largely been on her own. She had just been working and struggling to
make ends meet and raise her daughter. She hadn't even had the time
or energy to think about love and she never thought she would ever
meet someone who would love her and Ashley so wholeheartedly. She
was resigned to raising her daughter alone and being alone for the
rest of her life.

She never, ever expected to
meet Jax. A man who was so perfect for her.

She was very grateful to Jax,
his family and friends, but it wasn't just gratitude that she felt
towards Jax. It was something more. Something she had never felt
before.

Her heart seemed to skip and
beat faster whenever he smiled at her. He was a very handsome male,
tall, tanned and broad with black hair and deep, brown eyes. He was
about her age, twenty-five, but he was way more mature than most of
the men she'd met. He was sensitive to others and he was fiercely
protective of the people he loved.

Serena closed her eyes and
simply savored his kisses. Jax was an incredible kisser. His lips
moved hungrily, passionately over hers, and he knew just how to touch
her. She wanted to feel his touch on her bare skin, all over her
body. She just needed to be closer to him, to feel him against her,
on top of her, inside her.

His body felt so hard and hot
against her, and she groaned as the ache between her thighs
intensified.

“Jax, oh Jax,”
she breathed as he kissed down her neck.

When his hands cupped her
heavy breasts and kneaded them, she cried out and writhed against
him. Her nipples were erect and throbbing, screaming to be licked
and sucked. She wanted, needed to feel more of him, have him all
over her, against her, inside her.

She wanted him, but could she
really have him forever, or just for now? She shouldn't kid herself,
and if a few hours was all she had with Jax, then she would take
these few hours, savor them and remember the time she had with him
forever.

Serena pushed all her
thoughts and doubts out of her head. Jax was in her arms now, and
she would have him. He was hers for this moment, for just a few
hours. She knew that she would never forget this experience. And
she would never forget him.

She would soon be on her own
again. But for now, she would enjoy the time she had with Jax and
his beautiful family.

If only…

Serena shook her head,
refusing to indulge in wishful thinking. She would soon have to move
out of Jax's house and find a small place she could afford. She
would find work in this town and send Ashley to school. Jax would
always be a dear, dear friend, and it would kill her to see him with
another woman, but...he deserved happiness.

But for now, he was hers.

Serena grabbed Jax's muscular
shoulders possessively and growled, “I want you, Jax.”

He stared into her eyes, his
breathing loud and ragged. There seemed to be a light behind his
dark eyes, and he looked at her with raw, primal lust.

A low growl tore from his
throat as he snatched her up and carried her up the stairs.

Striding into his room, he
threw her on the bed and ripped her blouse apart.

The realization that he was
going to have her right there and then aroused her rather than
frightened her. Feeling the dampness between her legs, Serena gasped
as Jax came to her, his claws glinting from his fingertips.

CHAPTER
SIXTEEN

Jax ripped Serena's clothes
off her body and sucked in a breath as the sight of her lush, naked
body. She was fucking beautiful. Her body was soft and curvy, and
the scent of her fierce arousal was driving his bear insane.

He wanted to mount her and
fuck her like an animal. He wanted her so bad, but he was afraid to
hurt her. He would never, ever cause Serena pain.

He tore off his clothes and
grabbed Serena's luscious hips. He needed to taste her and feel her
intimately with his mouth and hands. Spreading her legs, Jax licked
hungrily at her pink, wet pussy and penetrated her with his stiffened
tongue.

She tasted so damn good, so
sweet and sticky. Serena writhed and moaned with pleasure as he took
her closer and closer to the edge. She was coming, he could feel it.
Her muscles tightened and she shuddered and cried out suddenly.

Jax pulled her hard, engorged
nub into his mouth and sucked greedily. As he flicked her clit with
his tongue, she climaxed again.

“God, you're so
beautiful,” Jax grated.

Serena was panting hard, and
her skin was hot and flushed. She pushed herself up and stared down
his glistening body to his huge, pulsing erection. Swallowing, she
whispered, “I want to feel you inside me, Jax. Please...”

With a snarl, Jax pushed her
onto her belly and raised her hips. He knelt behind her and grabbed
the round, fleshy globes of her buttocks. When he inched into her
body, Serena moaned and fisted the bedsheets.

Stroking in and out of her
hot, creamy pussy, Jax ran his hands up and down her back. Serena
was all luscious, womanly curves. He was going crazy trying to hold
back his orgasm. He wanted to make her come again as he pounded into
her. He would take her and make her his now.

Thrusting deeply into her, he
bent forward to fondle her swaying breasts. Her erect nipples
stabbed into his palm and he groaned as he pinched them between his
fingers. She was so amazing, and he knew that he was never going to
have enough of her. He had wanted her the moment he set eyes on her.

She had gotten into his car
and his life that night, and he was never going to let her go.

Jax pistoned in and out of
her body, feeling her channel tighten around his cock. Gritting his
teeth, he moved faster, hammering hard and fast into her.

Serena threw back her head
and cried out as her body began to quake. A powerful orgasm rocked
her body and she screamed in ecstasy.

Jax roared and released his
seed deep into her body. He bared his teeth and clamped his jaws
down on her shoulder. Biting firmly into her soft, smooth skin, he
gave her his mark, claiming her completely as his mate.

Serena fell on the mattress
and began to sob quietly. Alarmed, Jax gathered her in his arms and
tried to comfort her.

“Shh, darling. What's
the matter? God, did I...hurt you?” Jax couldn't breathe. He
would never forgive himself if he had hurt her.

Serena shook her head as he
smoothed her matted hair away from her face. “No, of course
not. You would never hurt me, Jax,” she whispered through her
tears.

“Then what's wrong,
Serena?” He rocked her and kissed her temple.

“Nothing's wrong.
Everything is just...so right. So perfect,” she said, blinking
hard. “I feel...so good with you, Jax. I wish we could be
together...”

“We are together,”
he growled. “You are mine. You are my mate, my family.”

“You...your mate? You
mean...you don't mind...” Serena gulped and said hesitantly,
“You don't mind that Ashley...”

“I will be proud to be
Ashley's dad,” Jax said.

Serena gasped at him.
“You...you really mean that?”

“Yes. I will try my
best to be a good mate and good father. I'm not perfect. I'm half
deaf, and I...”

“No!” Serena
cupped his handsome face in both hands. “You—are
perfect. You are so brave and kind and good. I can't believe that
I've found you...” Her tears spilled from her eyes.