Chapter Eighteen
Howard was tempted to drag Elsa deep into the woods and pounce on her, but he restrained himself. Even though this latest strategy was working well, she could still be easily frightened.
So he gently cradled her face and pressed his lips against hers. She wrapped her hands around his neck and leaned into him. An encouraging sign.
"Elsa," he breathed against her luscious mouth. He nibbled on her chocolate-flavored lips, then sucked the bottom one into his mouth.
She moaned, tightening her grip around his neck. Her mouth opened in invitation.
To hell with being gentle. He grasped her head tighter and plundered her mouth. It was hot and sweet. His groin swelled, and he fought the urge to push her down and strip her naked.
He ravished her neck instead, nuzzling and nibbling, reveling in the moans and shivers he incited. She was so responsive, so delicious. Her scent drove him wild. Fresh as a dew-covered meadow at dawn, it was laced with the added scent of her arousal.
No doubt it would shock her that he could smell the moisture whenever it seeped from her core. It made him hard. It made him want to taste her and lick her till she screamed.
With a low growl, he returned to her mouth and gave her a ravishingly thorough kiss. Her body trembled, but she didn't retreat. His brave Elsa kissed him back and suckled on his invading tongue.
He cupped one of her breasts and squeezed. As she moaned, the nipple pebbled beneath his palm. He circled it with his thumb till it tightened into a bead. He pinched it lightly and groaned when he caught the scent of more moisture pooling between her legs.
Take her, the bear urged him.
He broke the kiss and sat back, still straddling her legs. Damn, he wanted her, but he couldn't take her here, so close to the house.
Carry her to the stream and mate with her.
And that's why you're the beast, he scolded the bear. He couldn't afford to frighten her now.
He eased back into a sitting position on the blanket, wincing at the tightness of his pants. "Are you all right?"
She nodded, breathing heavily. "I . . . I underestimated my attraction to you."
He squeezed her hand. "Don't regret it. Please. I want to bring you joy, not regret."
She gave him a sad smile. "That was your wish in the park."
"And you wished you could trust me. In your heart, you want to."
She sighed. "I - I've never felt quite like this before. I mean, I've been attracted to men before, but not . . . like this."
He nodded. "It's intense. Like we're driven." He touched a strand of her hair that had escaped her ponytail. "We're going to be wild together."
Her eyes widened. "I should be going." She scrambled to her feet.
Damn, did he say something to upset her? He rose to his feet. "Can we meet again? Another picnic like this?"
She glanced toward the house. "Maybe. I suppose a few minutes would be all right."
"Good."
She motioned toward the blanket and food. "Thank you. I enjoyed it."
"I thought you did." He recalled all her shivers and moans.
"I meant the food." Her gaze flitted to the swelling in his pants, and her cheeks turned pink. "I - I'll see you tomorrow." She darted toward the house and let herself in.
Howard smiled. His overall strategy was working. Her desire was becoming stronger than her fear.
The following afternoon, she halted her work once again to glance out the kitchen window. Four o'clock and he wasn't there yet. She clicked the electric sander back on and stepped over the long extension cord that connected to an electric generator in the foyer. Between the noise of the generator and the sander, she was afraid she would miss his call or text.
Her phone was on vibrate and nestled in a chest pocket of her denim work shirt. It was another hot day, and she'd rolled up her sleeves and opted for cut-off shorts instead of pants. Unfortunately, now her legs were coated with sanding dust.
The bad dream hadn't haunted her sleep last night. That had to be a good sign. Maybe her subconscious was accepting the idea that Howard wasn't a threat. Or maybe it was a sign that she was being totally fooled.
She winced. Why couldn't she be a normal person and fall for a normal guy? But after meeting Howard, who would want a normal guy?
At least her aunts seemed to be relaxing a bit. Today they had announced they would take turns guarding her at the house. They ate lunch with her every day at the diner in town, and that's where they planned to switch shifts, one taking the morning, and the other, the afternoon.
The phone vibrated against her chest, and she turned off the sander. It was him! A text: Setting up the picnic. Come when you can.
She stood and glanced out the window. Sure enough, there he was, in jeans and a navy T-shirt, stretching the checkered blanket on the ground.
She smiled, her heart racing. Calm yourself. She shouldn't act so excited to see him. Even though she was. And she shouldn't act like this was the highlight of her day. Even though it was.
She used bottled water to wash her hands and face, then brushed out her hair and refastened the ponytail. She dashed to the back door. Voices filtered from the dining room. Alastair and Oskar were arguing over whether to keep the old-fashioned, candle-lit chandelier as it was or wire it for electricity. The B Boys were carrying in stacks of wood for framing the new lower ceiling.
She slipped out the back door, skipped down the stairs, then forced herself to walk calmly toward Howard.
He turned and smiled.
Her stride froze for a few seconds as her heart flipped over before settling back into place. She smiled back. If she acted nonchalant, he might not notice the effect he had on her.
His cheek dimpled. "Are you all right?"
Damn. The man noticed everything. "So what's on today's menu?"
"Bear food." He knelt to remove some plastic containers from the basket.
"You mean nuts and berries?" She sat on the blanket, kicked off her work boots, and peeled off her socks. With her feet bare, she instantly felt much cooler.
"This is a favorite among were-bears - smoked salmon from Alaska." He sliced off a small piece, placed it on a cracker, and handed it to her.
The smoky taste filled her mouth. "Ooh, that's so good."
He smiled. "I'm glad you like it." He filled a wineglass for her. "Lemonade."
She took a sip. Tart, and not too sweet. "You like eating, don't you?"
He nodded as he poured himself a glass. "I have heightened senses, not just sight and hearing, but also smell and taste. So I really enjoy food." His gaze drifted over her long, bare legs. "Or whatever I happen to be nibbling on."
She scoffed. "Beast."
"Goldilocks." He tugged on one of her toes. "You're torturing me." His hand slid up to her ankle. "I think this is called bear-baiting. It's against the law, you know."
"Stop that." She swatted his hand away. "I'm all dusty from work."
He gave her a wide-eyed innocent look. "We could wash up in the pool at the stream."
"I'm not skinny-dipping with you."
"Would you do it alone then?" His mouth twitched. "I could watch over you to protect you. I'm a professional security guard, you know."
She snorted. "I have a feeling your protection would be up close and personal."
"That's the best kind."
She shook her head, smiling. "We should use this opportunity to learn more about each other. Important things."
"Okay." He fixed himself a cracker. "So tell me, for future reference, does your bra fasten in the front or the back?"
She threw a cracker at him, and it bounced off his chest to land on the blanket. "Can you ever be serious?"
With a grin, he picked up the cracker and ate it. "Come to the stream with me, and I'll show you how serious I can get."
She didn't doubt it. Howard would be fiercely passionate. And he was terribly tempting. She drank some lemonade to cool herself down. "Oh." She gestured toward the clearing between them and the house. "My entourage has arrived."
He scanned the collection of small animals. "Holy crap, there's a skunk in the mix. Now I don't dare scare them away."
"Maybe they're hungry." She tossed a few crackers in their direction, and the raccoons were quick to grab them.
Howard winced. "You shouldn't feed wild animals."
"Does that include you?"
He gave her a wry look. "I can be entirely domesticated. You should see me in the kitchen."
She shuddered. "I'm having this strange vision of a grizzly bear wearing an apron."
His mouth curled up as he skimmed a hand up her leg. "I'm having a great vision of you not wearing an apron."
Or anything else, she imagined. She shoved his hand off her thigh. "You seem to have a one-track mind."
"I know. I'm an animal."
She snorted. "Why don't you tell me about yourself? How did you grow up?"
He shrugged. "It's not all that interesting. After my father died, my mom took me back to the Bear Claw Islands, just off the Alaskan Peninsula. We lived at my grandfather's house on the biggest island, called The Paw. There was a small elementary school on the island, but when it was time for middle school, we had to take the ferry to Port Mishenka."
She helped herself to more salmon. "And there were a lot of were-bears there?"
"Not on the mainland. But on the islands, we're all were-bears."
Her eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes. But not everyone is a Kodiak bear like me. Some are black bears. My best friend, Harry Yutu, shifts into a polar bear."
Her mouth dropped open. "Really?"
"Yeah. He turns solid white. I used to tease him that he disappeared for the entire winter. He'd be right in front of me, and I'd act like I couldn't see him." Howard chuckled. "It drove him crazy."
She shook her head in disbelief. "Your best friend is a polar bear?"
"Yep. Technically, he's bigger than me. But I figure I have him beat on looks." Howard's mouth curled up. "I have a really nice fur coat. Don't you think so?"
She gave him an incredulous look. "I was too terrified to notice."
"I could show it to you again."
"No!"
He grinned. "Then you'll have to take my word for it. I'm a very handsome bear."
Handsome Howard. "You really don't mind being a were-bear?"
"No, I'm happy." He ripped open the square of chocolate, broke it in two, and held a piece up to her mouth.
She opened her mouth and let him set the chocolate on her tongue. He popped the other half in his mouth, then opened a plastic container of fresh pineapple chunks.
"Try this." He placed a chunk in her mouth.
The pineapple juice mingled with the chocolate, filling her mouth with a delicious sweetness. "Mmm." She chewed slowly, enjoying it.
He ate a pineapple chunk, watching her. "Good?"
She nodded and licked her lips.
He moaned, his eyes growing a more intense blue.
There was hunger in his eyes. A fierce desire that made her quiver in response. She pulled her legs in, pressing her thighs together as heat gathered in her core.
His nostrils flared, and he suddenly jumped to his feet. "Come." He grabbed her hands and pulled her up.
"What?" She stumbled after him as he strode deeper into the woods. "Where - "
He pressed her back against a large tree trunk. "I don't want anyone in the house to see us." He lifted her arms over her head, pinning her wrists to the trunk.
She tugged at his grasp. "Let me go."
"I will. After I kiss you."
She huffed. "Beast."
"Goldilocks." He kissed her forehead. "Too hard." He kissed her cheek. "Too soft." He hovered over her lips. "But this is just right."
He molded his lips against hers, tasting, nibbling, ravishing. Meanwhile, his hands moved slowly down her arms, prickling her skin with goose bumps.
She leaned back against the tree, her knees weak, her heart pounding. His mouth was insistent. His hands, seductive. They skimmed over her shoulders, then rested lightly on her chest.
He broke the kiss. She gazed up at him, her breasts heaving beneath his hands. With his eyes gleaming an intense blue, he slowly unbuttoned her shirt. Opened it.
She drew in a long, shaky breath.
With his right hand, he cupped her breast, stroking the cotton bra until her nipple pebbled. His thumb slipped underneath the material and pulled it down, exposing her.
"Beautiful," he whispered.
She shivered, then gasped as he latched his mouth onto her nipple. Oh God, he knew how to use his lips and tongue. Of course he did. He had a heightened sense of taste.
Her knees quivered, and she grabbed onto him to keep from falling. He started on her other breast, suckling the nipple till it was as red and hard as the other.
A movement in the woods caught her attention. She stiffened with a gasp.
Howard looked up, then followed her gaze.
Three large male deer were glaring at him. They lowered their heads to show off their impressive antlers.
"Stay behind me." Howard turned to face them.
"I'm not the one in danger. You are. They think you're attacking me."
He glanced back at her. "You know what they're thinking?"
With a small shock, she realized she did. "Yes. They can sense you're a predator. They're afraid you're mauling me."
"I am." He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to his side as he glowered at the stags. "She's my mate. Get lost."
"They're not going to follow orders from you." She quickly adjusted her bra. "And who says I'm your mate?"
"I do."
"I don't recall agreeing to that."
He growled softly, and the deer pawed at the ground with their hooves.
"You're making it worse." She stepped toward the three stags. "It's all right. He's not hurting me."
The deer tilted their heads, still glaring at him.
"They're really protective of you," Howard murmured behind her.
A scene flashed through her mind - her grandmother's mauled body surrounded by a herd of deer that had died trying to protect her.
"Thank you for watching over me," she told the deer. "But I don't need your help right now." An eerie feeling swept over her, and she suddenly knew what to do. She lifted her hands, palms facing the deer. "Go in peace."
The deer slowly ambled away.
"Wow," Howard said softly behind her. "They do what you say."
She swallowed hard. The more time she spent in the forest, the more she became attuned to this strange power within her. It was growing inside her as surely and steadily as the forest grew. It was changing her, calling her home, making her the guardian.
As she watched the deer disappear into the woods, she was struck by their noble bearing. They were beautiful. And they possessed an instinctual wisdom as ancient as the forest. They knew who she was. And they were loyal.
Did they sense something she was refusing to see? They clearly saw Howard as a threat to her. What if they were right? Shouldn't she respect their instincts with the same respect they gave to her?
She buttoned up her shirt. "I should get back to work now." She hurried back to the picnic blanket just in time to see two raccoons running off with the rest of the smoked salmon.
"Those damned thieves," Howard muttered. "See you tomorrow?"
"Maybe." She stepped toward the house, then paused. "Oh, I almost forgot. I need to see Shanna again. I have a bunch of countertop samples to show her, and I need to know which stain she wants for the cabinets. Stuff like that."
He nodded. "I'll tell her. You want her to come by after sunset?"
"Yes." Elsa wondered briefly why Shanna Draganesti could only come at night, but then she dismissed the thought. She had enough to worry about. After all, she was falling in love with a were-bear who might fulfill a curse and kill her. If she had any sense, she'd heed the warning from the deer. But she didn't have any sense. She wanted to love him. Dear, sweet Howard.
She shoved back a tendril of hair that had escaped her ponytail. "Good-bye."
His eyes narrowed as if he suspected something was wrong. She turned to walk toward the house.
"Elsa," he called after her, and she stopped. Glanced back.
"Whom are you going to believe - a few deer or the man who loves you?"
Her heart lurched. He loved her? Oh God, it was her dream come true. In a normal world, this would be the moment she confessed her love to him and they would run into each other's arms. Music would come out of nowhere, swelling dramatically as they fell into a long, passionate kiss. And they would live happily ever after.
A pang shot through her chest. The world was no longer normal. And she wasn't absolutely sure she could trust him. Even though he loved her. Even though she loved him.
Tears gathered in her eyes, blurring her vision of him. She ran into the house.
Dammit, he was losing her again. Howard paced around his office. A new strategy, that was what he needed. Time to call in the troops.
He sat at his desk and wrote a note to Shanna, explaining that Elsa was having trouble adjusting to his being a were-bear, especially when there was a curse that made it seem like he would kill her. So, when Shanna met with Elsa this evening, could she please put in a good word for him? Convince Elsa he was safe?
Howard glared at the note. He hated having to ask for help. His inner bear took it as a sign of weakness.
"Dammit." He turned to his computer to think about something else for a while. There was an e-mail from Harry, sent late last night.
Howard, I found an old were-bear who lives along the Yukon River. He recalls smelling werewolves in the woods the day the fire started. He remembers because his cabin burned down, and he blames it on the werewolves.
I did some searching on the company that bought the land from our mothers. It's a front for a company that's a front for another. Finally found out who actually bought the land. Old man Bleddyn, Rhett's father.
Howard stiffened. He'd always believed the hatred between him and Rhett had started with them during high school. But did the hatred go back even further? Were the two fathers involved in a battle that had ended with his father's murder?
He finished reading Harry's e-mail.
I'll see what else I can find out. Take it easy, buddy.
Harry
Another e-mail popped into his inbox from his cousin Jimmy.
Howard,
Grandpa asked me to send you this link. And he says you should come home right away. I'm really sorry, dude.
Howard's chest tightened as he opened the link. It was an online article from a major newspaper in Anchorage.
"Journalist Killed in Car Bombing Incident"
His heart clenched in his chest. His eyes darted around the article, unable to focus. Morning blast. Apparent murder. Victim identified as Harry Yutu. Memorial service.
Harry was dead?
Howard jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair.
Harry was dead?
It was obvious who had killed him.
Howard leaned his head back and roared.