Page 74 of The Bear's Reluctant Mate

“You okay?” he murmured, his breath tickling her ear.

“Yes,” she said, covering his hand with hers where it rested on her stomach.

He placed his glass on the ground and turned her to face him, his eyes searching hers with that gentle intensity that always made her feel seen. “Charlie will be okay.”

Marion nodded. “I know.” Alfie always seemed able to read her thoughts. Or at least her emotions. It’s how he could tell she was thinking more about Charlie than about the launch this afternoon.

Charlie had gone to the garden project with Heather. Finn had offered to supervise the visit, and she trusted him. Trusted that he wouldn’t let anything happen to Charlie. Then Marion realized that, actually, she trusted Heather, too. Her sister seemed to have turned over a new leaf since Charlie ran away. When the case against her was dropped, she severed all ties with Razor and instead began focusing on her sobriety and rebuilding her relationship with her son.

She groaned inwardly. What had Alfie done to her? Two months ago, she wouldn’t have trusted anyone with Charlie, let alone her sister.

Marion smiled up at him and threaded her arms around his neck. She knew exactly what he’d done to her. He’d opened her heart to love and given her room to grow. And this afternoon she would launch her handmade soaps at the garden center, turning a hobby into a business because he’d believed in her.

“I love it here,” she told him as she set her wine glass down.

Alfie glanced around the wooden cabin and the surrounding clearing. “It’ll be amazing when the extension is finished.”

“I mean, I like the seclusion.” She moved to straddle him, feeling the immediate response as his hands tightened on her waist.

“The seclusion, huh?” He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, his lips brushing against the sensitive spot below her ear, igniting a fire in her core.

“Yes,” she breathed, tilting her head to give him better access. “I was thinking I need a distraction, a way of releasing tensionsince today is such a big day.” She slipped her hand beneath his shirt and stroked his chest, feeling the muscles tense beneath her fingers.

“Well, we could chop some wood for the fire,” Alfie suggested, his voice husky with desire. “It gets cold up here in the winter.”

“I was thinking of something more intimate,” she murmured and nipped the sensitive skin on his neck.

Alfie sucked in a breath, his eyes darkening as he looked down at her. Without another word, he captured her lips in a searing kiss that made her stomach flip. His hands roamed down her back, cupping her bottom and pulling her tighter against him so she could feel the hard evidence of his desire through his jeans.

Marion melted into him, her body thrumming with need as she kissed him back with equal need. His tongue explored her mouth, and she could taste hints of roses and honeysuckle.

When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, Alfie’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “You know, there’s something about making love outdoors....”

A thrill ran through her at the thought. The clearing around the cabin was private, surrounded by thick forest on three sides and a steep drop on the fourth. No one would see them here.

“Show me,” she whispered and stood up. With her eyes locked on his, Marion reached for the hem of her sundress and pulled it over her head in one fluid motion, leaving her standing before him in nothing but her pale blue underwear. The mountain air kissed her skin, raising goosebumps across her flesh.

Alfie’s eyes roamed over her body with reverent appreciation. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured, as he pushed himself to his feet and trailed his fingers down her bare shoulder. “So perfect.”

Marion shivered under his touch, her nipples hardening beneath the thin fabric of her bra. She reached for him, tuggingat his t-shirt until he helped her pull it off, revealing the broad chest she loved to explore.

His skin was hot beneath her palms as she ran her hands over his muscled torso. She pressed her lips to his collarbone, tasting the salt of his skin, as her fingers worked at the button of his jeans.

Alfie groaned as her hand brushed against his hardness. With a swift movement, he unhooked her bra, letting it fall away. His hands cupped her breasts, thumbs circling her nipples as he lowered his head to take one into his mouth.

Marion gasped at the sensation, arching into him as pleasure sparked through her body. His tongue swirled around the sensitive peak, sending jolts of electricity straight to her core.

“Alfie,” she breathed, tangling her fingers in his hair.

He lowered her gently onto his shirt, the chamomile tickling her back where the fabric didn’t cover. Kneeling between her legs, he hooked his fingers into her underwear and slowly slid them down her thighs, his eyes never leaving hers.

The afternoon sun warmed her bare skin as Alfie gazed down at her, his expression filled with such love and desire that it made her heart ache. He leaned forward, pressing soft kisses to her inner thighs, working his way upward with agonizing slowness.

When his mouth finally found her center, Marion cried out, her back arching off the ground. His tongue moved in slow, deliberate circles, building a delicious tension that had her gasping his name. Her hands clutched at the grass beside her as he slipped two fingers inside her, curling them to find that spot that made stars explode behind her eyelids.

The dual sensation of his tongue and fingers brought her quickly to the edge. She could feel her release building, hermuscles tensing as she climbed higher and higher. When she finally came, her body trembled with waves of pleasure that seemed to go on forever.

Before she could fully recover, Alfie was moving up her body, his jeans cast aside. He positioned himself between her thighs, the hard length of him pressing against her still-sensitive flesh.

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