Page 62 of Flare
By the time he climbed into his king-size bed, the house had gone quiet.
Ward stared at the ceiling, listening to the familiar creaks and settles of his house. His bear paced restlessly beneath his skin, dissatisfied with the slow progress of the courtship.
His animal half didn’t understand the need for patience, for healing. It only knew that their mate was sleeping under their roof, but not in Ward’s bed, where she belonged.
Ward shifted, punching his pillow into a more comfortable shape. The memory of Emily’s body pressed against his in that hug lingered, tormenting him with what could have been. He imagined how it would feel to kiss her again. To slowly undress her, revealing inch by inch of soft skin. To lay her down on his bed and worship her body until she screamed his name.
He groaned and shoved his hand down the front of his pajama pants. His cock was rock hard, and it would keep him awake unless he took care of things.
As he stroked himself, his mind kept circling back to the way she’d looked at him as they stood in his living room, the trust in her eyes, the way her fingers had traced the bear pendant he’d carved. She’d been wearing his gift all day, keeping a piece of him close to her heart.
He imagined her small, soft hands on his cock, working him while they kissed.
Ward groaned and came hard, panting as his orgasm tore through him and coated his fist.
As he rolled out of bed and went to his bathroom to clean up, he realized he’d never reacted to a woman the way he reacted to Emily. None of the women he’d dated, shifter or Ordinary, had gotten under his skin like this.
He’d heard the stories from his dad and his uncles, about the moment they’d found their true mates, about the instant recognition, the overwhelming need to claim and protect.
He’d thought they were exaggerating. Until Emily walked back into his life.
Had it been like that for Andrew Brunborn, too?
The thought made Ward uneasy. He wiped himself down with a damp washcloth and padded back to bed. He was intensely aware that Emily’s bedroom was just down the hall.
The difference between Andrew and him, Ward told himself firmly, was that he wouldnevertrick or force Emily into anything.
And if she never wanted more than friendship from him, he would accept that, painful as it might be. Her happiness and well-being mattered more than his bear’s impatience or his own desires.
But God, he wanted her so badly. Wanted to protect her, to make her smile, to see her blue eyes darken with desire for him.
Wanted to show her what it really meant to be loved.
∞∞∞
Sunday, May 17
The Lavender & Lilacs Festival had ended at four o’clock, and all along Main Street, vendors were packing up their goods and tents as the last visitors straggled back to their cars.
“We sold almost everything,” Maggie announced, easily lifting the huge, fancy chrome espresso maker that had stood in the Cinnamon + Sugar tent for the duration of the festival.“Best weekend we’ve had since Valentine’s Day.”
Ward picked up a large Plexiglas bakery display case while Emily packed the remaining cookies to bring to Grandma Elle’s Sunday dinner.
She glanced up, catching him looking at her, and smiled. He spotted the outline of the pendant beneath her t-shirt, and his bear rumbled with satisfaction at seeing his gift against her skin. The panic button he’d given her during her lunch break was clipped to the belt of her jeans.
Ward turned to carry the display case inside Cinnamon + Sugar.“Need a hand with the tent?” he asked his cousin.
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Maggie replied.“These things are deathtraps.”
With the festival officially over, Ward felt himself relaxing. He’d been on edge all day, scanning the crowds for any sign of trouble. But everything had gone smoothly, with no Andrew sightings.
Together, the three of them dismantled the Cinnamon + Sugar booth. Ward handled the metal frame of the tent, making quick work of the folding mechanisms that seemed to confound Maggie, while Maggie and Violet rolled the tent’s fabric into a neat sausage.
Meanwhile, Emily gathered up the tablecloths and signage and loaded them into the back of Maggie’s van, which was parked at the curb next to the tent.
“You’re still coming to Grandma Elle’s for dinner, right?” Maggie asked Emily as they worked.“My brother Matt will be there tonight, and he’s bringing Sophie and Chris.”
Emily brightened.“Oh, that’s great! I haven’t seen them since high school. Sophie’s a doctor now, right?”
