“Are you sure it’s not from pulling the boat up on land using ropes, pulleys, and a bear?”
“It might be partly that.”
“You’re perfectly welcome to share the bed with me,” she said, her eyes twinkling. Why was she doing this to him? He’d asked for it, though. The thought of sleeping in a bed was definitely appealing. The thought of sleeping in the bed with her…
“I might just do that.”
“Do you think you can handle yourself?”
“I can try,” he said. He could already feel his bear rearing its head.
“If that’s enough for you,” she said.
The sun had fallen and the world was deep in darkness. He pulled the CB radio from across the table and took another bite of his fish. Tate knew a little bit about CB radios, but not much. If the electronic components had been shorted by the water, it wasn’t going to work again.
“I’m going to put this near the fire to dry out.” He stoked both fires. And yawned. It had been a long ass day for him. Ella was right, his bear had done a lot of physically grueling work, and he needed a rest.
“I think I’ll turn in if that’s okay with you,” he said.
Chapter Ten
Ella watched Tate’s tight body as he stretched and pulled off his outer flannel shirt. He had a tight-fitting, long sleeve shirt underneath. He rubbed his belly under his shirt, revealing his tight abs. Ella bit her lip. Holy crap, he was hot.
Every memory of Tate she had was of how scorching hot that boy was. Even as a teen, he’d been the sexiest boy in school. Tall, gorgeous chiseled, boyish features, full lips, green eyes, and shaggy dark hair. His smile was infectious. His friendship was elevating. When he’d told her he loved her and that she was his mate, she couldn’t believe it.
She’d wanted him for so long. Finally they’d made love. It was so good. So right. She loved him so much. Genuinely, in the depths of her heart. To learn he’d betrayed her so deeply cut like a knife. She couldn’t look at him anymore. They’d shared everything. Absolutely everything. She’d told him about her crazy parents and he’d told her about his brothers and cousins. They had known each other inside out.
For him to keep something like that from her? How could she ever forgive him? Somehow, she was beginning to understand why he’d done it. What she’d realized was that he was scared. He was just a kid back then. He didn’t have some kind of manual on how to deal with that kind of thing. She had to forgive him somehow.
No matter how much she told herself she wanted to forgive him, the more it felt like doing so would automatically mean she had to mate with him. Just like back then, she wasn’t ready to take on all that responsibility. Even after having his child.
She put Andrew in his car seat. Luckily, he’d already fallen asleep by the time she strapped him in by the fire. She covered him with an extra blanket. It wouldn’t be safe to sleep with two adults in the bed. Not when Tate had never slept with a baby before. Andrew would be safer in his car seat.
She stood and looked at Tate’s muscled back. He was turned toward the wall on the full sized bed. How was she going to fit in there with him? Part of her thought maybe this was a set up. He wanted to sleep with her so he could claim her. She turned out the kerosene lamp and sat at the edge of the bed.
Would it really be so bad to be Tate’s mate? What was she even fighting over in the first place? She knew her body sang with desire every time she saw him. How different was it for him? She wasn’t even really afraid of being a bear. She was related to a lot of bear shifters on her mother’s side. It wasn’t like that was a big deal.
It was that Tate had betrayed her and then taken away her choice when he finally did tell her. She did the opposite of what he expected. She’d refused to be manipulated. But maybe she had been looking at it all wrong, all this time.
She didn’t even know anymore.
Ella lay down on the bed and let out a long breath. The bed was uncomfortable but warm. Tate’s body radiated heat, and it felt good to be beside him. She could smell his masculine scent, thick from a hard day of work. It was mesmerizing.
“I’m starting to understand why you didn’t tell me,” she whispered in the darkness.
He grunted but didn’t turn over. “I understand why you ran,” he said.
She ran her hand over his back and around his waist, holding him tight against her chest. He let out a long sigh and took her hand in his, pressing it to his chest.
“That feels so good,” he whispered.
“Yeah.”
He turned to her and put his arm around her waist. She could feel the heat of his breath on her cheek.
“I’m sorry I betrayed you, Ella,” he said, brushing her cheek with his fingertips.
“I’m sorry I ran,” she said, breathless. The feeling of having him so close, so warm, forgiving each other, sent a hot passion through her body. It was as if none of the bad stuff had ever happened and everything was fresh and new.
He ran his hand over her hip and pulled her closer to him. She felt the soft brush of his lips over hers. They pressed deeper and his tongue flicked inside her mouth. Desire surged down her body, exciting her in a wet pulse.
His cock pressed against her stomach, and he pulled her leg up over his thigh, pressing her closer. She moaned as his tongue plunged deeper. She grabbed his waist and felt the power of his muscles slide under her hand.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked him.
“Are you sure?” he asked her.
They stopped for a moment, panting. “Yes,” they both said at once.
“We don’t have any condoms,” Ella said as his hand gripped her between the legs.
He growled loudly into the pillow. “I won’t go inside you. It will keep me from claiming you.”
“All right,” she said, reaching for his hard bulge.
He slid his fingers inside her panties and flicked over her swollen bud. She moaned as hot pleasure surged under his fingertips. It had been so very long since she’d been touched. The first and the last person to touch her this way had been Tate. That fact was not lost on her. Her heart seemed to explode with new feelings, feelings she’d never let herself have before.
Now that they had forgiven each other, she could let herself admit that she really did want someone to take care of her. It had been so silly and foolish, and even a little selfish to keep running away from him like she had been. She wanted to give herself to him completely now. It was a feeling she’d never had before. But she felt ready for it, ready for all of it.
Tate’s kisses peppered over her face and neck as he ran his hand over her breast. She wanted him now, badly. She couldn’t wait any longer. Even if he were to claim her, she wouldn’t object. Why had she waited so long?
She caressed his hardness up and down with her hand, wanting to feel him closer than ever. They peeled off each other’s clothes, getting down to their naked skin. Tate kissed her shoulder and rubbed his hand along her wet slit. His thumb focused on her clit, bringing her toward release. She held his thick shaft in her hand, stroking the smooth skin up and down. She loved the feeling of him on her palm, in her grip. It was the most erotic thing she’d ever felt.
She wished she had condoms more than ever right now because all she wanted was for him to be inside her again. He pushed his fingers into her wet channel and caressed her, brushing over a deep sense of pleasure inside her. She cried out, quickening the rhythm of her stroke on his shaft.
He sucked a sharp breath and licked her ear, flicking her clit in a tight circle with his thumb. All at once, Ella was hit with hot liquid release that throbbed on Tate’s fingers as his cock stiffened. He shot his seed onto her belly. They moaned with mutual release.
“That was amazing,” she breathed, as her contractions slowly subsided.
He kissed the top of her head and rumbled an agreement, pulling her close to him. She could hear his heart pounding inside his chest and feel the warm sweat on his skin against her cheek. S
he let out a deep sigh for everything that had brought her to this moment. It all felt so right. She wanted it to last forever.
“All this time…” he said.
“We could have been together,” she said, completing his thought.
They laid together, holding each other close in the dark and silence. They slowly drifted to sleep, their bodies sated and satisfied.
Ella awoke deep in the night, feeling Tate’s hands rove over her naked body under the blanket. His shaft was hard against her and she groaned, not opening her eyes.
“You’re ready to go again?” she asked. He growled in her ear.
“I didn’t mean to wake you. You just felt so good lying beside me. I wanted to touch you.”
“Oh Tate,” she breathed, snuggling closer to him.
“Oh God, I want to be inside you…”
“I want the same thing,” she said, touching the sensitive skin of his shaft.
“I’m not going to get you pregnant again, not like this.”
She let out a little moan of disappointment, but ultimately he was right.
“Wait a minute,” he said. “I think there’s some condoms in the first-aid kit from the ship.”
He climbed out of the bed and turned on a flashlight. Standing over the pile of supplies in the corner, he opened the first-aid kit and pulled out a packet of condoms.
“Bingo.”
He trotted back over to the bed and got under the covers. Thrill and panic fluttered in Ella’s chest. She took the flashlight and shined it over at the baby. He was sleeping soundly in his car seat. She lay her head on the pillow and smiled. Tate snuggled beside her and ran his cool hand over her stomach.
“I want you so badly,” he said, dipping his face in her neck.
“I do too, Tate.” She ran her hands up his sides and back down over his shoulders.
He growled and ripped the condom package open. A moment later, he was over her, her legs spread as his cock thumped her slit. She caressed his chest and gasped when he pushed the head of his dick against her opening.
“I’m not going to claim you, no matter how much I want to,” he said, pressing forward. Her tight body opened to him, moisture running around his shaft as he pushed deeper. She let out a strangled moan. The sensation of her body stretching around him send sparks of pleasure from her pussy to her nipples. She licked his chest, ready to take him deep.
She moaned his name as he disappeared inside her. Tate kissed her face, holding still to let her breathe into the fullness. Her arms encircled his waist, and her legs wrapped around him.
“Oh baby, you feel so damn good,” he growled in her ear. She moaned when his hot breath hit her skin.
“I want you,” she groaned.
He pulled back and thrust forward again. His mouth found her nipple and licked the damp, taut flesh.
“Ella,” he groaned. “Oh, Ella.” His mouth sucked on her nipple as his hips worked her sex.
Ella was swept away in a sea of desire and the hot swell of love. She ran her hands through Tate’s hair, adoring the feeling of him so close. The pleasure sensations he sent rocking through her core made her call out as a climax crested and broke.
“Yes,” he growled. “Come for me, little mommy.” The contractions stiffened and she clung to him as it throbbed through her.
She cupped his face in her hands. His eyes were wide with love and passion. “I’ve always loved you, Tate,” she said.
“I’ve always loved you, Ella.”
He sank to her neck and gripped her flesh with his teeth. The sharp points of his canines extended and pressed threateningly hard. His thrust his hips harder into her, holding her hip with one hand and holding himself up with the other.
He growled as he took her, holding back only from breaking the skin. The pounding of his hips against her flesh sent her into the heavens. She could barely see or breathe in the haze of pleasure. He bit harder, growling loudly as he tensed and came hard inside her.
Even with the condom on, she could feel it pulse against her womb. Slowly, he let go of her neck. She hadn’t known how she felt as he held her with his teeth, so close to claiming her and changing her into a bear. She hadn’t resisted, hadn’t said no. Yet, Tate had kept himself in control. He hadn’t betrayed her.
Chapter Eleven
Tate rose to the sound of the baby crying and climbed out of bed. It was dawn beyond the foggy windows. He threw a log in the fire and began to unstrap his son from the baby carrier.
Ella rose and pulled her clothes on against the chill morning air. Tate handed her the baby as she sat in bed under the covers.
“His bear kept him warm,” he said.
“He’s only half shifter.”
“Half shifter is full shifter. He won’t have his first shift for years, though. It’s in there waiting, keeping him warm on cold nights.”
“He’s a happy baby.” Ella laid down with the baby and fed him while Tate got dressed and built up the fires. He made a pot of coffee, had a cup, and left the pot on the stove for Ella.
He watched her on the bed, caring for their son. It was a perfect picture of family love. He sipped his coffee and smiled. He’d never felt so satisfied. The night before, his bear had relented, and Tate was able to make love to Ella without being forced to make decisions he couldn’t take back. He was proud of his self-control. He was a man. He could take care of his woman and child, even if she wasn’t ready to commit to him yet.
“I’m going to check on the boat,” he said, going to the door with the CB radio.
Outside, the storm had cleared. There was still a blanket of snow on the ground but the sky was crystal blue without a single cloud. The temperature had warmed considerably as well.
He went down to the boat and fired up the engine. After hooking up the radio, he tried to turn it on and dial in his family’s channel. With each channel he passed, all he heard was silence. He tried a few outgoing calls, but there was nothing. The power lights wouldn’t even come on.
“Great,” he muttered. There might not be any communication to the outside world, but he was pretty sure the patch to the hull had held. He jumped out of the boat and inspected the tar on the exterior. It was dry and solidly sealed.
He put his hands on his hips and shook his head. He could get everyone back to the mainland now, he just wouldn’t know if the criminals had been dealt with yet. It had been two days, surely Brock and Shaw had convinced the Shifter Council that there was a reasonable cause to bring the Glacier Pack into custody. He hesitated to risk Ella and the baby’s safety, but he had faith in his family. He and Ella were going to run out of supplies soon.
It was time to get back to the mainland. Tate turned from the boat and strode toward the cabin and opened the door.
“The boat is finished. It’s time to leave,” Tate said. Ella and Andrew were sitting on the bed.
“Are you sure it’s going to be safe?” Ella asked, looking at Tate with her big, trusting brown eyes.
“Everything is going to be okay, I promise you.” He kissed her forehead and turned towards the door.
“I trust you, Tate.”
The weight of the responsibility crushed down on his shoulders. But there was something wonderfully pleasant about the feeling of having them depend on him. He wanted more than anything to protect his woman and his child. Being able to do that was the greatest gift that anyone had ever given him. He had been angry that Ella had kept the baby from him, but now, all he felt was grateful for them both.
He hurried back outside into the cold and stripped off his clothes. He’d need to use his bear to get the boat back in the water. After quickly untying the ropes holding the boat up on land, he shifted and pushed the boat with his massive grizzly shoulder. Slowly, the boat inched down the incline and into the water.
Popping back into human from, he grabbed the ropes and tied the boat to the pier. He watched as it floated on the surface of the water. His patch held. With a sigh of relief, he pulled his clothes back
on and trotted up to the house. Inside, Ella stood among the bags and boxes, waiting to leave.
“I’ll carry this stuff down and come back to help you take Andrew to the boat.” He grabbed several boxes at once and Ella held the door for him. He smiled down at her as he passed. She closed the door behind him. Helping each other like this, even though it was a small thing, felt like that little piece of his life that he’d been missing since she’d gone.
After a few more trips, everything was packed up in the boat. He helped Ella and Andrew out into the cold, snowy day and locked the fishing cabin’s door behind them. They trudged through the snow to the pier and climbed into the boat. Ella looked nervous sitting in the small cabin under the deck.
“I won’t let anything happen to you. I swear it.”
She let out a long breath and gave him a weak smile. “I believe you, Tate,” she said in a low voice, bouncing the baby gently in her arms.
He untied the riggings from the pier before jumping back on the deck and turning on the engine. It purred to life and Tate smiled. He maneuvered the little boat out of the island inlet and into the strait between the collection of islands and the mainland.
It would take at least an hour and a half to get back to Juneau. He silently prayed his patch would hold that long. He hadn’t shared it with Ella, but he had his own fears. He’d worked on boats before. He’d even patched a few. But he’d never had to do it in a situation like this one, where he was stranded on an island without all the proper tools to do the job. Tate had used all the skills and knowledge he’d picked up over the years to get it done.
However, Tate was not a shipwright. There was a limitation to his skill and he knew it. He knew Ella knew it, too, but the last thing he wanted was to stress her out any more than she already was. He wanted her to have more confidence in him than he had in himself. He needed her to feel safe.
The night before had been bliss. Tate hadn’t experienced so much pleasure in the year and a half since she’d left. Making love to her opened a whole new door of possibility for him. It opened up a life that wasn’t filled with misery and loneliness. He had hope again for the first time in a long time, and he wasn’t willing to let it go.