He shifted his body between her legs, palming her breasts with both hands and kissing the center of her belly. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to get carried away by the pleasures washing through her. His tongue moved around her belly button, dipping inside, then around and around again. He dragged it along her waist, and her hips rose off the cushions. He kissed his way up again, between her breasts, to the very tip of each one, where he lingered long enough to draw several panting moans from her lungs.
When his mouth came down over hers, she wiggled and writhed beneath him. He was being careful. She felt his restraint in his fingers curling around her hip. She shifted, so her legs weren’t trapped, and unhooked the snap on her shorts.
“Baby,” he whispered.
“I want you to touch me.” She waited for fear or embarrassment, or something to stop her, but she was so full of Bear, there was no room for anything else. She’d wanted him for so long, and her body was giving her the green light. There was nothing holding her back any longer, and she wanted to revel in him, to experience what she’d been dreaming about without regret and without her past hanging like a noose around her neck.
He kissed her lovingly as his hand moved over her belly and slipped beneath her panties. Her insides clenched and heated at once as his thick fingers cupped her sex, as if he were waiting again for a final sign of approval. She angled her hips, so the tips of his fingers touched her wetness, and as he dipped them between her legs, he groaned. The pleasure-filled sound vibrated down her throat and wrapped around her heart. Without breaking their kiss, she wiggled out of her shorts and kicked them off, leaving her panties on. His thick fingers moved between her slick lips, making her tremble with need.
“Bear,” she finally begged, eyes closed. “Please touch more of me.”
“Look at me, sugar. I need to know you’re okay.”
She opened her eyes, and he held her gaze as he slid his fingers into her. The heat of his gaze, the naughtiness of staring into his eyes while he pleasured her, made what they were doing that much hotter. Her eyes fluttered as he moved over the magical spot that sent shocks of heat racing through her.
“Still with me, baby?”
She opened her legs wider in response, and he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her as he loved her down below. He used his thumb on her most sensitive nerves, sending shocks of heat racing up her torso. Tingling began in her thighs, traveling up her core and down her limbs, curling her toes under. Her breathing became shallow, and her head tipped back. Even through closed lids, she felt his gaze searing into her, heightening the thrill of it all. His whiskers brushed over her cheek—another scintillating sensation.
“I’m yours, baby,” he said in a rough voice. “Let go for me.”
Then his mouth was on her neck, and his fingers moved quicker, his thumb pressed harder, and his arousal rocked against her thigh. When he brought his mouth to her breast, the first tantalizing suck brought her climax crashing down on her.
“Bear, Bear, Bear!” An avalanche of pleasure tore through her. She squeezed her thighs together, trapping his hand. “Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me.”
And he did. Deep, passionate kisses that went on and on, carrying her through the very last pulse of her orgasm, and then he kissed her some more.
SWAMPED BY EMOTIONS too big to climb out from under, Bear focused on the brave and beautiful woman he adored lying in his arms. He held Crystal through the shuddering aftershocks of her climax, through her blissful exhalations, until she began drifting off to sleep. He pressed a kiss to her temple, I love you hanging on the tip of his tongue.
“Stay,” she whispered, snuggling closer and tucking her leg between his.
She didn’t need to ask twice.
Chapter Ten
AS THE FOG of sleep lifted, Bear realized he was alone on Crystal’s couch, save for a very loud purring kitty curled up on his chest. He opened his eyes, and Harley lifted her head and pushed to her paws, digging her claws into his chest as she stretched. She padded down his belly, across his leg, to the other side of the couch, where she curled up and closed her eyes.
“Nothing like a little clawing in the morning.” He swiped at a dot of blood on his pec, turning toward Crystal, who was sitting on the old chest she used as a coffee table, wearing his T-shirt. She had a serious look in her eyes, and her gorgeous legs were crossed, her feet covered by fuzzy pink socks. She was leaning forward, elbow on knee, her chin resting in her palm, watching him as she popped jelly beans into her mouth. He’d worried that Crystal might wake up feeling differently than she had last night. He was prepared for the worst.
“Hi,” she said, popping another candy into her mouth.
“Hey, babe. You okay?” He pushed up to a sitting position, stretching his arms out to his sides. He loved the lascivious look that appeared in her eyes when he positioned one leg on either side of her.
“Mm-hm.” Her eyes moved along each of his arms, down his bare chest, to the bulge in his pants. “Doesn’t Little Bear ever hibernate?”
He laughed. “First of all, there’s nothing little about any part of me. Second, he needs sustenance before he can hibernate, and it’s been a long, cold winter.”
“Hm.” She seemed to think about that for a minute. “Sorry. I’ve been kind of selfish in the orgasm department, huh?”
“Not at all. Don’t you worry your beautiful self with that stuff.”
She held out a palmful of jelly beans.
“No thanks, sugar. I like my mornings to start with hot, dark liquid.”
“Shame.” She popped another one in her mouth. “I thought you might want to start it with a hot, dark female who likes the taste of candy in the morning.”
He snagged them from her hand and chewed them up, earning a playful smile.
“Fast learner.” She rose to her feet, and he caught sight of a pair of pink panties before his shirt drifted down to the middle of her thighs. Her nipples poked against the soft cotton as she climbed onto his lap, her dark hair tumbling around their faces. “Is this too unfair?”
He gritted his teeth against the throbbing ache behind his zipper. “The only thing unfair about you is that your lips are too far away from mine.” Inhaling the scents of candy and happiness, he buried his hands in her hair and pulled her in for a sweet, sugary good-morning kiss. “Mm, baby. I do like the taste of jelly beans in the morning after all.”
She smiled down at him and ran her fingers over his whiskers.
“How long have you been watching me sleep?” He could sit like that all day, with Crystal looking at him like she never wanted him to leave and touching him like she truly believed he was hers.
“I woke up too wired to sleep about two and a half hours ago, and I might have watched you for a few minutes.”
“So, you’re okay with this. With us?”
“After eight months of being in a relationship without sex or kissing or anything else? I think you nailed it on the head, biker boy. I’m not panicking, and that tells me that you’re already in here.” She put her hand over her heart. “I just needed to give myself permission and get over the worry about panicking. Worry breeds anxiety, at least that’s what David says. So, yes. I’m good with us.”