The Cowbear's Christmas Bride (Curvy Bear Ranch 4) Read online

The look in his eyes changed from playful to filled with desire. Her breath hitched as he stepped closer. When his hands cupped her face, her heart pounded in anticipation. He moved in slowly, first brushing a kiss across her forehead, then across her nose, and finally across her lips. She melted against him and wrapped her arms around his neck to draw him in.

  The kiss lasted so long that by the time he pulled away, her body burned with desire. If they weren’t standing outside in the middle of winter, she would have dragged him to bed.

  “Should we get going?” he asked in a throaty voice.

  “Mm-hmm.”

  He gave her one last soulful look before swinging his leg over the snowmobile. She slid in behind him and wrapped her arms around him once again, this time with less force.

  A few minutes later, he pointed up and to the right. She glanced up just in time to see a huge nest in the trees. It wasn’t very easy to see it through the visor, but she caught a glimpse of a wing. Apparently Mrs. Eagle was home.

  Carol smiled. For a bird, she had one hell of a view.

  When they reached a junction, he turned right then made another right into a small parking lot. She spotted a small building with bathroom signs for men and women. Good thing, because she’d downed several cups of coffee at breakfast.

  “We’ll stop here for a moment. See that trailer over there?” he asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “They have hot cocoa and coffee. I’ll meet you in there so we can get warmed up. The next part of the trip can get a little cold.”

  She waddled to the restroom in her bulky snow pants. She’d had to borrow them from Madison. Fortunately, she was a curvy girl too, so they fit perfectly. But all the extra insulation made them hard to manage.

  After she finished in the restroom, she joined Hank in the trailer. She was surprised to find a large menu of snack items as well as coffee, tea, and cocoa. When her stomach grumbled, she wanted to die from embarrassment.

  “Want a snack?” Hank asked.

  “We just ate breakfast.”

  “You burn calories faster when it’s this cold outside.”

  “In that case, I’ll take a cranberry muffin and hot chocolate,” she said.

  While they ate and drank, several other couples walked into the trailer. One of the women made a face as she reviewed the menu. She pushed an overly fluffy fur-lined hood away from her face, then yanked off equally expensive-looking gloves.

  “I thought you said they’d have peppermint mocha soy lattes,” she snapped.

  “We can get one when we get back to West Yellowstone. Can you drink regular coffee for now?” her male companion asked.

  “I suppose, but I want a decent lunch when we get back.”

  As Carol watched the couple, she couldn’t help but think that they were probably from New York, Boston, or some other large city. Didn’t they ever take the time to enjoy anything? She would have been happy with just a cup of hot water.

  “Some people can’t be pleased,” Hank whispered.

  “I know. God forbid she breaks a nail.”

  “I never understood people like that. Always in such a hurry that they miss what’s right in front of their faces.”

  “Yeah. I’d rather take my time and enjoy life. The pickier you are, the more likely you are to be disappointed. I’m not saying you should sacrifice everything, but you have to decide what’s truly important in your life,” Carol said under her breath.

  “What’s the most important thing to you?” he asked.

  “Right now? Trying to build some kind of relationship with my mom.”

  “What about before?”

  “I tried to take each day as it came. I didn’t really have big goals. I just tried to enjoy what I had,” she said.

  “I agree. It’s important to appreciate the little things, like today. I get to spend time with someone I like being with. I’m glad you decided to come with me.”

  “I enjoy being with you too.” And kissing you, that’s pretty damn good too.

  “I’m glad. Let’s finish up and head out. They just updated the whiteboard to show that Old Faithful will be going off again in an hour. We can make it there in time if we leave now,” he said.

  “Sounds good.” She finished the hot cocoa then popped the last bite of muffin into her mouth.

  A little over an hour later, they reached Old Faithful’s visitor’s center. A herd of buffalo had crossed the road, costing them several minutes, but they still made it.

  After securing their helmets, Hank grabbed her hand. “We have to run. It should be starting soon.”

  She jogged next to him until they reached the frozen wooden boardwalk. Several other people huddled together, waiting for the geyser to go off. Gusts of steam burst out of a small, white cone of earth. Colorful puddles of water formed rings around the base.

  “Is it happening yet?” she asked. Water spewed from the hole in the earth with ever increasing power.

  “Not yet. Trust me, you’ll know it when you see it.”

  He stepped behind her and wound his arms around her chest. She leaned back against him and closed her eyes for a second. She loved that he wasn’t afraid to be affectionate. Although she had no clue what any of this meant, she knew she liked what was happening between them.

  A gasp from the crowd snapped her eyes open. A huge spray of water shot up so far into the sky that she had to tilt her head back to see it. She stared in wonder as the geyser shot up over and over. It didn’t matter that she knew the mechanism behind why it erupted with such regularity; it was still a thing of wonder.

  “What do you think?” Hank asked as he pressed his lips against her temple.

  “It’s amazing.”

  “Yeah, I guess I take it for granted because I can come and see it whenever I want.”

  When the eruption ended, she turned to face him. “Thank you… for everything.”

  “Anytime. Ready to head back?”

  “I guess.”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll stop at all the places we missed on the way back.”

  After following him back to the snowmobile, she took her position behind him and molded her body against his. She never wanted to let him go, which was a shame because she had no plans on staying. As beautiful as it was up here, it wasn’t her home.

  Chapter 6

  Hank shifted in the seat as he pulled out of the parking lot next to the mud pots. Looking at the park through her eyes was like seeing it for the first time. When they’d encountered a group of buffalo crossing the road, her eyes went as big as saucers. And when they’d walked around the bubbling muddy hot springs, she’d stared at them in wonder.

  The more time he spent with her, the more he put his heart at risk. He recognized it, but was powerless to stop it. Maybe she’d end up breaking his heart, but he couldn’t resist being with her.

  He reluctantly pulled onto the road and headed back toward West Yellowstone. They’d spent too much time at Grand Prismatic Spring and the sun had already set. For the first time in days, a clear night sky hung over the park. Bright stars twinkled against the black sky.

  Although he hadn’t planned on being out after dark, he loved the clarity absolute darkness brought. Whenever he’d had problems in the past, he’d gone out at night and shifted, then gazed up at the sky. Just knowing that he was a tiny dot on a small planet in the vastness of the universe made his problems seem insignificant.

  Tapping at his shoulder drew his attention. He slowed down and pulled into a marked turnout. After flipping up his visor, he turned slightly so he could hear her.

  “Can we stop and look at the stars?” she asked.

  “Let’s do it when we get back. It’s getting really cold and I don’t want you to freeze. We can hop in the truck and head out into the forest near the ranch.”

  “Okay.”

  The hint of disappointment in her voice was like a punch in the gut. He hated to turn down her request, but they really shouldn’t be driving around the park after
dark. Too many animals would be crossing the road and he didn’t want to take the chance that he’d hit one.

  Back on the road, he kicked up the speed. The relatively straight road leading to the west exit made it safe enough that he could drive a bit faster. Really, he just couldn’t wait to take her back out to see the stars.

  When they reached the ranch, he parked the snowmobile then helped her into the truck. She shivered as she pulled the seat belt across her chest. He shut the door then jogged to the other side. After turning on the truck, he cranked the heater all the way up.

  “It should warm up in here in a few minutes,” he said.

  “Sounds good,” she said through chattering teeth.

  His bear could think of some very good ways to keep her warm, but he cautioned the beast to calm down. There hadn’t been very many women who could catch his bear’s eye, but his reaction to Carol was unlike anything he’d experienced before. His bear had turned into a demanding brat who kept pouting about wanting to claim Carol as his.

  Well too bad, bear. She’s not an option.

  The beast clawed at his chest in an attempt to escape, but he wouldn’t let that happen. Not only would it scare her to death, but stuffing a thousand-pound bear in the cab of a truck was impossible. He’d end up wrecking it.

  He drove out to a clearing deep within the forest. It was pitch black outside, giving them a stunning view of the Milky Way. He left the power on but turned the engine off. Heat blasted into the cab until the air reached a reasonable temperature. He didn’t want to turn it off, but after glancing over at Carol to make sure she looked warm enough, he turned it down a bit.

  “When I was a kid, I used to look up at the night sky, pick a star, and then wonder if my mom was looking at it too,” she said.

  His heart clenched as he reached for her hand. “I’m sorry you felt so alone.”

  “I still feel that way sometimes.”

  “Me too.”

  “Really? You have so many brothers, I thought you’d never feel alone,” she said.

  “You can be surrounded by a huge group of people but it still feels like a piece of you is missing.”

  “I know what you mean.” She slid her hand into his and moved a bit closer.

  His arm tingled where it touched her. Even through their heavy jackets, he could sense her heat. More than anything, he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss away her loneliness—and his.

  “Can I ask you something?” she said.

  “Sure.”

  “Why are you still single?”

  “I just haven’t found a mat—the right woman for me.” He cut himself off before he could say “mate.” That was always a barrier to a long-lasting relationship. At some point, he would have to confess that he was a shifter. He’d made it to that point in the relationship twice before the women took off screaming.

  “What about you?” he asked. “Why are you still single?”

  “I never really dated much. The guys in New York are basically after one thing—sex. I want more than that. I want someone I can raise a family with, someone I can count on to be there for me. Someone like…”

  “What?” he asked.

  “Oh, Hank. This is going to sound crazy because I’ve only known you for a couple of days.”

  “Tell me.” As he leaned closer to her, his heart beat faster.

  “I want someone like you. Someone who isn’t afraid to help a complete stranger. Someone who’s willing to go out of his way to make me happy. You did that and you didn’t even know me. That’s a lot more than any of my boyfriends would have done.”

  “Come here,” he whispered.

  As she slipped into his lap, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I wish you lived in New York.”

  “I wish you lived here,” he countered.

  “I’ve never lived anywhere but the city. I have a job and an apartment. I don’t have very many friends, but I have a few. Well, okay, they’re mostly my coworkers, but that still counts,” she stammered.

  “I understand why you wouldn’t want to move away from the place you’ve lived your entire life. I couldn’t imagine moving away from my home.” As he stroked her back, his voice deepened. “That’s why I shouldn’t be holding you like this.”

  “I’ll tell you one thing…”

  “What?”

  “No one’s ever kissed me the way you do,” she murmured.

  The huskiness in her voice broke the last vestige of restraint. He clasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted it up. As he gazed into her eyes, her tongue flicked out to moisten her bottom lip.

  He groaned, already wanting her naked and wet beneath him. Every move she made was pure torture. He couldn’t stand to be apart from her for another second.

  His fingers laced into her silky hair as he claimed her mouth in a searing kiss that sent blood rushing to the hot, thick part of himself that he struggled to hide. It was no use. His erection pressed up against the fabric of his jeans with such rigidity that there was no way she didn’t feel it.

  When her lips parted slightly, he slipped his tongue into her mouth. A quick swipe of his tongue across hers brought a deep sigh of pleasure from her throat. He slid his hands down from her hair, across her back, and down to cup her ass. Oh hell, it was just as firm as he’d imagined.

  “Oh God,” she murmured when he finally broke the kiss.

  He wasn’t done—far from it. Instead, he left a trail of soft kisses across her jaw and down her throat. She tipped her head back and grabbed his shoulders as she swayed in his lap.

  The taste of her intoxicated his senses. His bear rolled and jumped and leapt for joy as he found a tender spot just below her earlobe. She shivered and ground against him.

  “You taste so good,” he whispered.

  She responded with a whimper.

  “Especially right here.” He nuzzled her neck before pulling her collar down a bit so he could nibble her exposed flesh.

  Her hands drifted up to unzip his jacket. When she pushed it over his shoulders, he wiggled out of it. She ran her hands down his chest.

  “You’re so hard all over,” she murmured.

  “You have no idea.”

  “I think I do.” She gave him a pointed look.

  He growled against her shoulder. She had entirely too much clothing on. After making quick work of her jacket, he slipped his hands under the hem of her sweater. As he caressed her waist, she trembled.

  The soft press of her breasts against his chest wasn’t enough—he needed more. He glanced at her face only to find desire written all over it. That was all the encouragement he needed to lift her sweater over her head. As the clothing raked across the steamed-up window, it left a trail. He knew he shouldn’t be undressing her like this, but he couldn’t deny his bear any longer.

  He returned his gaze to the fullness of her breasts. They crested the top of her pink, lacy bra, as if begging for his touch. He trailed his fingers across their smoothness.

  “You’re so beautiful.”

  “I’m a bit soft in the middle.”

  “I like soft. Your skin, it smells like baby powder all the time,” he said.

  “I don’t put anything on it. I guess that’s just how I smell.” She tried to pull his sweater off but it caught behind his back. “Lean forward.”

  He did. When she revealed his naked chest, he smiled at her shocked expression.

  “You don’t have a shirt on,” she said.

  “I usually wear one, but not today.”

  “Why not today?”

  “I don’t know, maybe I thought this might happen.” He flashed a wicked smile.

  “Really?”

  “No. But a guy can hope, right?”

  “You can do more than hope,” she whispered as she reached back to unclasp her bra.

  “Oh damn,” he blurted.

  Her breasts spilled out into his hands. He hadn’t realized he’d moved until he passed his thumbs over her nipples. The warm fle
sh puckered into taut peaks. He leaned forward and captured one between his lips.

  She wound her fingers into his hair and tugged him closer. He smiled and teased the other nipple with his tongue before pulling back to look at her.

  “How far…” His voice turned husky.

  “Make love to me.”

  “I don’t think you can make love in the cab of a truck,” he said.

  “Well then fuck me.”

  “Whoa!” He sat back, stunned by her sudden aggression.

  “What, you don’t think I like to get dirty from time to time?” she asked coyly.

  “Oh, I’ll show you dirty.” He yanked the zipper down on her jeans and helped her shimmy out of them. His pants ended up on the floor with hers, and in a tangled mess of limbs they managed to strip.

  “Get on your knees,” he growled.

  ***

  As Carol crawled across the front seat, he reached to hit the electric seat controls. When he pushed the seat back, she yelped, not expecting the movement. She faced the headrest and leaned forward as Hank climbed in behind her. Her legs trembled in anticipation. In the dark cab, she hadn’t gotten much of a look at his cock, but she didn’t need to. When she’d been sitting in his lap, the length of him strained against her thigh, giving her a damn good idea of what she was about to experience.

  But instead of plunging into her, he planted sensual kisses across the nape of her neck. He let his teeth graze her shoulder as he reached forward to gather her breasts in his hands. She moaned. She’d never imagined having sex in a truck in the middle of the woods, but if she had, it wouldn’t have been anywhere near this good.

  His gradual perusal of the skin on her shoulder sent tendrils of need straight to her pussy. She brushed against the seat, eager to have him inside her. Why was he being such a tease? She needed him—all of him—with a desperation so intense it was overwhelming.

  “Please,” she begged.

  “What do you want?” he asked in a husky voice.

  “You?”

  “What part of me?”

  “Your cock.”

  “Where do you want it?”

  “Inside me,” she whimpered.

  “Deep?”