Page 34 of Saving Meri

She sobbed against the cool sheets, her body clenching around him, pleasure and pain intertwining into something wild and intoxicating. His scent enveloped her, a musky, masculine aroma that filled her senses, making her feel even more consumed by him.

Bear bent over her, his broad chest pressing firmly against her back, his breath hot against her ear. His voice was a low, possessive growl, like a predator claiming its mate. "You’re going to stay with me; you will not vanish into thin air—anchored in the here and now. You will feel every single heartbeat, every breath, every ounce of raw emotion."

She had no choice. His hold on her was unyielding, his body a cage from which she could not escape—not from him, not from herself. And as she shattered in his arms, her body convulsing with waves of ecstasy, she screamed his name, a sound of surrender and release. At that moment, she realized she didn't want to run. She wanted to stay right there, caught up in the storm of their passion, feeling every raw, intense sensation he awakened within her.

Meri trembled in Bear’s arms, her body still buzzing from the intensity of what had just happened. Her cheek rested against the cool sheets, her breathing uneven, her limbs boneless. Every nerve ending hummed, her skin tingling with the aftermath of his control, his dominance, his unwavering presence.

She had never felt like this before—stripped down completely. He hadn’t just taken her physically. He had demanded every part of her. Every thought. Every instinct.Every lingering fear that she’d tried to bury under the weight of her own stubbornness.

And she’d given it to him.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she felt the shift in him, the way his grip softened, the way he ran a slow, warm palm over the small of her back, tracing idle patterns against her skin. She wasn’t sure she could move yet. Wasn’t sure she wanted to.

Bear kissed the back of her neck, his lips gentle now, soothing, his breath steady. "Breathe, little one," he murmured against her skin. "Just breathe."

A shuddering sigh escaped her as she tried to follow the command, grounding herself in the feeling of his hands on her body, his voice tethering her to something solid. He rolled onto his back, bringing her with him, so she rested on top of him. He wrapped her up in his arms like she was something breakable—but she wasn’t. Not anymore.

She didn’t know how long they laid there, tangled in each other, his chest rising and falling in an even rhythm beneath her cheek. His scent surrounded her, a mix of heat and strength, of something unmistakably Bear.

Her fingers curled into the sheets. "I don’t know what’s happening to me."

He didn’t hesitate. "You’re coming back to yourself."

Her throat tightened. "I don’t even know who that is anymore."

Bear’s hand slid up to tangle in her hair, his fingers massaging gently. "You will," he promised. "And I’ll be here every step of the way."

Her eyes burned, and she squeezed them shut, pressing her face into his chest. No one had ever done this before. No one had held her after. No one had stayed.

Bear didn’t just stay. He made it impossible for her to disappear.

She felt his lips brush the top of her head, the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her ear. "You did good, little one."

She swallowed, her throat thick. "I don’t want you to say that just to make me feel better."

His fingers gripped her chin, tilting her face up until she had no choice but to meet his gaze. "Have I ever said anything to you I didn’t mean?"

She searched his face, the sharp edges, the steady certainty in his eyes. No, he hadn’t.

Meri exhaled slowly, letting herself sink into the warmth of him, allowing herself to just exist in the space he created for her. Her walls were still there, still standing, but for the first time, they weren’t the only thing holding her together.

Bear was.

The realization sent a different kind of shiver through her, one that had nothing to do with desire and everything to do with something far more dangerous.

Because she didn’t know what she would do if she lost this. If she lost him.

Bear’s hand continued its slow, steady movements through her hair, his voice a quiet murmur against her skin. "Sleep, baby."

She wanted to. God, she wanted to. But just as her body started to drift, just as the calm started to settle, his phone vibrated on the nightstand.

Bear went rigid beneath her. Meri felt the shift immediately, the way his breathing changed, the way his muscles tensed. He grabbed the phone, turning on the speaker and answering with a clipped, "Talk."

She lifted her head, reading his expression even before she heard Fitz’s voice on the other end.

"They found you."

Bear’s grip on the phone tightened. "How close?"

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