Page 18 of Riding With the Grizzly

JUDE

I’m supposed to be taking Nara on our second date tonight, but after she was cornered yesterday by her vile family, I changed plans to cooking for my mate instead of a night out on the town. I don’t want to risk her safety while her family and the Midnight Rebels are on the hunt.

And if tonight is the mating moon and we’re stuck in my giant house with plenty of surfaces to fuck on, well, that’s just a sacrifice I’ll have to make.

“Something smells… uh, good. What are you making us?” Nara asks as she steps into the kitchen.

I look down at the chicken breasts I was supposed to be sautéing only to realize they're burnt and shriveled. Not only that, but the entire kitchen smells like burnt toast.

“Well,” I start as I shut the burner off and put the burnt food to the side to cool off before washing the dish. “Pizza or Chinese?” I ask, making Nara smile. There’s something different in her eyes tonight. A desperate longing, and ache so deep she doesn’t know how to get rid of it. Jesus, I know how to fulfill that need.

She sways toward me, her chin tilted up so we’re face to face. The little mix nibbles on her bottom lip, her gaze roaming overmy body and face until she settles on my mouth. I know what my mate is hungry for. Shit, I’m starving for it myself.

I lean down and take her lips as my own, teasing and tasting the pleasure she has building up inside of her. “I want this so bad,” I half-whisper, half-growl. “But I need you to be right here with me. Once I mark you as my mate, there’s no going back.”

“M-mark me?” she asks, her voice trembling with need.

I nod, weaving a hand through her long hair and gently tugging her head back, exposing her neck to me. I lick her sensitive flesh and then nip the spot where my mark will soon be. “When we’re together for the first time during the mating moon, I’ll bite you right here,” I whisper, blowing cool air over the spot. She shudders and nods. “Don’t worry, princess. I’m told it feels incredible.”

“Yes,” she breathes out. “Yes, I want that. I know you’re nothing like the men I grew up with. You’ve already shown me that. Everything else… we can learn together.”

“I like the sound of that, mate.”

“Mmm,” she coos, rubbing her nose against mine. “I like the sound of being your mate.”

I can’t take one more second of this anguish. My body, my bear, everything in me is ready to claim Nara.

I take her hand and lead her to the master bedroom, ushering her inside and then shutting the door. I turn to see my gorgeous, sexy-as-hell mate staring up at me with all of her walls down. She's giving herself to me in every way possible.

“Do you trust me, Nara?”

“You know I do.”

“Tell me. Say it again.”

“I trust you, Jude. I want to be yours. I want to be your… fated mate.”

That’s all I need to hear.

I take her lips in a frantic kiss as she tugs at my shirt. I want her hands on me right this fucking second. I lean back and rip my shirt off, not able to wait any longer. Nara giggles then leans forward and licks a path up the center of my chest.

“Fuck, do it again,” I demand, already working on my belt. Her tongue feels incredible on my skin. I never knew pleasure like this existed, and I haven’t even been inside of her yet.

Nara licks my chest again, this time swiping her tongue over one nipple and then the other. I growl and push her back against the wall before dropping to my knees, pulling her leggings and panties down as I go.

“Need to taste you again. I want your sweet cream on my tongue when I claim you.”

"Jude…" she moans, leaning against the wall and tangling her fingers in my hair.

My hands slide up and down the back of her legs, my fingers trailing up the insides of her thighs, closer, closer, closer to her wet heat.

“Tell me what you want. Anything. I’ll give it to you. I’ll lay the whole damn world at your feet,” I murmur into the little patch of soft curls covering her mound. Before she can answer, I dip my tongue into her folds, growling as her sweet, tangy flavor hits my tongue.

I lick her from bottom to top, swirling the tip of my tongue around her clit. This may only be my second time doing this, but I’m a quick learner. I know what she likes and I’ll spend the rest of my life discovering what other pleasures I can bring her.

“I w-want… I want…” Nara is trembling and panting as I tease her with the tip of my tongue “How am I supposed to think when your tongue is doing such wicked things to me?”

“How am I supposed to thinkwithoutmy tongue doing such wicked things to you?” I counter.

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