Page 30 of Her UnBearable Protector

She felt his hand on her shoulder and while she could have fought him, part of her really wanted to get this over with. Once she knew where he stood, she could get back to what she needed to do.

Natale turned toward him and felt his palm gently cup the side of her face. She sighed at the gentle touch.

“I stopped you,” he shook his head, “I stopped us last night because I couldn't let myself love you like that unless you knew who I really am. What I really am.”

He trailed the backs of his fingers down the length of her neck.

“You needed to know the truth. And I need to know that you wouldn't hate me when you found out that the man who loved you wasn't just a man.”

He took her hand in his, lifted it until he could brush a kiss over her knuckles.

“And to let you know that the bear inside me loved you just as much.”

She heard the words and wondered if it would ever sound more like reality than a fairy tale someday. She started to push herself up on the bed and Salvatore was right there, helping her ease up, placing a pillow behind her. She rarely had someone take care of her. Sure, Ericka did in some ways, dragging her out from time to time or shoving a carrot cake in front of her with a big spoon instead of a fork. But, not like this.

And, whatever this was, she wanted more of it.

“Salvatore?”

“Yes, Principessa?”

She almost groaned at him. “I'm no princess. I don't sit in my high turret and have people wait on me.”

“You are a woman to be admired and honored. My tesoro,” he offered, “my treasure.”

She blushed, embarrassed to even ask him the question that had been at the tip of her tongue since he'd saved her life.

“Will you,” she bit her lip, worried that he'd take offense.

“Natale, ask me.”

She nodded and struggled to find the courage she knew she had.

“Show me,” she asked him, her voice slightly breathless with curiosity, “can you show me your bear?”

She heard a growl and felt as if the sound itself was a physical touch skimming over her body. Instead of pulling away, she leaned into the sensation, reaching out a hand to touch him.

The air around them trembled and the skin under her hand shifted. As she watched, she couldn't quite tell if his skin pulled back or if the fur was pushing forward, but a moment later it didn't seem to matter.

Standing beside her bed, taking up every inch of space from her bed to the wall, her curtains bunching up over his back, was a bear. Big didn't even begin to describe the animal beside her, he was massive. Until that moment, the closest she'd ever been to a wild animal was the squirrels in the park that would take peanuts from her hand, but when the bear shifted his weight and set a paw down on the edge of her bed where Salvatore had just been she let out a long sigh.

The bear’s front leg looked like a tree trunk, and the claws made dark points against her white comforter without tearing the fabric.

“Salvatore?”

His head turned slowly and she saw the muscles of his jaw shift under his thick fur. At this distance, he could snap his jaws and break her neck, but she wasn't afraid, not when the dark eyes that looked back at her seemed hauntingly familiar.

Before she could think, she lifted her hand to touch him and froze when the bear turned to look at it.

She held her breath, sinking her own teeth into her bottom lip for a moment to ease her nerves.

The bear followed the movement with his eyes.

“Can… can I touch you?”

The bear chuffed and she smiled when he turned his head into her hand. She splayed her fingers through his fur, feeling the heady sensation of touching this powerful animal, and having him lean into her touch.

“Goodness,” she lifted her other hand and saw the bear look at the bandage on her arm. He lifted his head and she saw the question in his eyes. “I'm okay. Relax, will you?”

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