Page 52 of Protecting Mr. Fine

“I’m fine.”

THIRTEEN

ZANE

Bears might seem straightforward, but they can be surprisingly conflicted when it comes to relationships. After mating, a bear’s protective drive might urge him to push his mate away when he most wants to hold them close. Fortunately, their survival instincts always lead them in the right direction. A bear knows what he can’t live without.

—Bear Facts for Insomniacs, Episode 89

Any idiot would know I was anything but fine, and Bearespeciallywould know. There was no one more attuned to my moods than he was and no one less likely to believe my “fines.”

But I also wasn’t about to let him know just how much that interlude had affected me.

I stayed strong until I got into the hot shower, and then I pressed my face into my hands and let out a long breath.

Holy fuck. Holyfuck.

I just had sex with Ryan Galloway.

I just blew my bodyguard.

I just sucked Bear’s dick.

I shuddered at the delicious memory. The feel of his heavy cock on my tongue. The musky scent of him in my nose. The sounds he made from deep in his chest.

“Zane, open the door.”

I jumped and nearly slipped on the wet tile. “Can’t. Showering,” I blurted without thinking.

“Tell me I can come in.”

I hesitated, wondering if I wanted to face him when I was feeling this vulnerable. But ultimately, I wanted to see him. I wanted to be with him. I wanted any excuse to have his eyes and hands on me.

“You can come in,” I said.

Bear opened the door and strode in, yanking off his clothes and throwing them down. Within seconds, his big, beautiful body was pushing into the shower stall and cornering me up against the wall. His hand came up to tilt my head, so I was forced to meet his eyes.

His eyes flicked frantically between my eyes and mouth before he leaned in to kiss me firmly but quickly. “I need to know what you’re thinking.”

“I… I’m… I’m thinking you’re, like, even hotter naked than I imagined?”

Bear closed his eyes briefly as if in relief. “Thank you. But that’s not what I meant.”

“I’m just… processing, okay? That was really fucking amazing. I enjoyed it and want to do it again. The fact you don’t want a repeat is taking me a moment to get my head around?—”

He pressed his thick cock against my hip. “Who said I didn’t want a repeat?”

His presence was affecting me, making me dizzy again with hot want. “You acted like…” I closed my eyes and swallowed after catching him glancing at my mouth. “Stop doing that. I can’t fucking think.”

“I want a repeat, Zane.”

Wait, what?

I blinked my eyes open and met his.

“I want you so fucking much,” he continued. “And it would kill me if you doubted that even for an instant. I never want you to feel bad because of me. Understand?”

Water from the spray made his eyelashes even darker and spiky, setting off the intensity of his irises, and I could only nod helplessly.

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