Page 9 of Bear Creek Valentine
Aiden finally pulled back, tilting his head to the side so Dash could scent him properly. He held still while a cold nose and warm tongue snuffled and licked from collarbone to ear. Honestly, Dash’s bear wanted to sniff all the nooks and crannies of Aiden’s body and lick every inch of his epidermis. The thought made Dash shiver with want and anticipation, forcing him to stop before doing something embarrassing. Aiden merely looked at him fondly and followed Dash to his car, opening the driver’s door for him.
“Goodnight, Dash, and thank you for joining the party. See you Sunday.”
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Dash saw Aiden waving and responded by tooting his horn. While the drive took little time, Dash found himself sitting in the driveway with no memory of the trip. Castigating himself for being flighty, he opened the garage and managed to get inside without incident. There were no two ways about it—he had it bad for Aiden Romero. If his instincts were correct, the reverse was also true, and Dash didn’t know how to process this unexpected light-speed romance thing they had going on.
Deciding he needed a snack before bed, Dash pulled two Bear Brownies from the box, put them on a paper plate, and left it on the kitchen floor. In the bedroom, he stripped down, shifted, and then shuffled his way down the hall to the kitchen. Dash scented the brownies first and then began munching away, parsing out each ingredient with his superior senses. His bearlovedthe things, and the fact that Aiden made them added to the appeal.
Dash finished them quickly and then searched for stray crumbs, just to make sure. Returning to the bedroom, he shifted back to get cleaned up and hit the sack. His mind kept returning to select scenes from the evening that intrigued both him and his bear—all involving Aiden. It was uncanny how the perceptive human knew precisely what Dash needed from him—courtesy,soft words of reassurance, and guidance without control. Harv did the same thing, though not until Dash explained what he wanted from their relationship.
Humans expected bear shifters to act a certain way, especially those in the gay community. But Dash had always been different, and it limited his choices for a mate considerably. Aiden seemed to do all the right things, but was it a fluke or perhaps an attempt to impress him during their courtship phase? Dash would never mate with someone who could not accept him the way he was, for to do so would doom them both to a life of frustration.
He’d had a taste of perfection with Harv, and Dash lost all hope of ever finding another like him when he died. Of course, he’d never considered a human mate, having assumed they were all the same. Was he wrong? Could Aiden be an exception? The only way to find out was through an honest, frank discussion with the man. Given the fast pace so far, he’d have to initiate the conversation soon or risk a misunderstanding that could tear them apart.
In the shower, Dash allowed his imagination to take over. He pictured Aiden’s hands all over him, his talented mouth licking and sucking in all the right places, and cum splattered over hairy muscle. It didn’t take long to work himself into a growly, horned-up mess, ejecting ropes of jizz onto the shower floor. The orgasm felt good, but what really surprised Dash was that for the first time, it wasn’t Harv’s face, voice, or body he imagined while beating off. It was Aiden. Stranger still, he didn’t feel guilty about it, and Dash wasn’t sure what it meant.
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Meanwhile, Aiden’s condo
Some men were blessed with a short refraction period, and Aiden ruthlessly took advantage of it. The first wank after he got home was just to take the pressure off. The next one involved a fantasy of a hot sixty-nine, a lot of growling, and some serious cuddling. Now lubed up for orgasm number three, Aiden imagined his hard cock pumping in and out of Dash’s firm, muscular ass while the gorgeous shifter squirmed and begged for more.
“You want it faster, Dash? No, don’t touch your dick; it’s mine! I’m feeling it, you sexy bear. Get ready to cum with me. Steady... steady... NOW!”
Aiden’s muscles contracted in a rictus of pleasure, squeezed tight while his body fired off another round. His abused cock demanded a rest, and he stopped stroking. He’d only managed a small puddle of jizz on his rippled abs this time, and a pleasant ache in his groin. If masturbating felt this good, he couldn’t imagine what actual sex with Dash would be like—assuming, of course, that they were compatible and on the same page. He wouldn’t know until they discussed the issue, but if Dash was like most bear shifters, they’d be lucky to make it past the kissing and hand job phase. If so, his dream of a mixed mating would quickly die.
Aiden wiped up his mess and then lay back to think. There was reason to hope if he went by what happened between them tonight. Dash seemed to defer to him at every turn, though not like a doormat—which Aiden didn’t want. No, the hot bearlikedit when Aiden took control—consistent with every compliant human partner he’d ever bedded. Not that there were many, but the pattern held true.
Everyone knew shifters were dominant in the bedroom; many of them exclusive tops. But Aiden didn’t want an aggressive partner; he wanted a cuddly submissive bear to please and treasure. Someone to spoil and care for. A mateto last a lifetime. Could Dash possibly be the one? Mutual attraction certainly wasn’t a problem—and those kisses! The man was responsive and pliant while still allowing his bear to shine through, and it aroused Aiden like nothing else ever had.
Perhaps on Sunday, when they were alone, he could get some answers. They knew almost nothing about each other, but Aiden couldn’t ignore how well they fit together. Was it possible his days as a single man were numbered?
Chapter 4
Sunday
While this was supposed to be Aiden’s day off, he’d been up since dawn, toiling away in the kitchen downtown. Meeting someone special had inspired him to whip up samples of new recipe ideas for Dash. Yes, shifters made superb taste testers, but Aiden also wanted to give his bear something different to enjoy. His non-existent social life meant Dash would be his first and only guest since moving in, and Aiden wanted to make a good impression. Staying busy all morning also prevented his nerves from getting out of hand while he waited for one o’clock to roll around.
After locking up the shop, Aiden returned home and brought the freshly made confections inside. He arranged two different platters for munching and left them on the kitchen counter. If Dash liked the new recipes, he’d test them out on Knox and Levi for second opinions. With the clock ticking, Aiden grabbed a quick shower and changed clothes. By the time he finished, only ten minutes remained, and he realized he hadn’t even eaten lunch.
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Meanwhile...
To distract himself and keep his bear happy, Dash shifted and went out to roam his property. Though deep mounds of snow still covered the ground, there were plenty of things to see, investigate, and scent-mark. Close to the house, Dash discovered an ideal swimming hole along the east bank of Bear Creek. It was too cold to try it now, of course, but during the summer, he’d have a convenient place to get wet and cool off. It felt wonderfulto spend time in the woods, climb trees, and breathe in the cold crisp air.
With so much on his plate right then, Dash spent less time in bear form than he should have. Now that he owned a piece of protected woodlands, he could shift and roam whenever he wanted. What happened to Harv still haunted him, though, and his bear remained on high alert whenever he was alone in the forest. Maybe in this new place, he could finally relax and enjoy nature like he used to.
Wary of running late, Dash made his way back to the house. His nerves simmered under the surface while he showered, trimmed his beard, and dressed in something comfortable. Even if this wasn’ttechnicallya date, it sure felt like one. He’d never dated Harv since they recognized each other as mates at first sight, and didn’t know what to expect from a human man. Would they have sex? Did he want to? His bear certainly did and made no bones about it, but there were significant issues to discuss before he went down that road with Aiden.
At the very least, they really did have a business proposal to discuss, so Dash resolved to focus on that and see what else developed. If he ended up making a mess of things, then all this fuss about dating and sex was nothing but wasted energy. At the end of the day, he hoped that he and Aiden could at least be friends and maybe business partners. His bear wanted much more, but Dash couldn’t make any promises, even to himself.
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The doorbell rang at twelve fifty-nine, and Aiden opened the door to find Dash wearing a hesitant smile. He looked positively cuddly dressed in blue jeans and a soft maroon sweater, dimples showing above his groomed facial hair.
“Hey, Dash. You look great! Come on in.”
Dash’s nose went into overdrive as he stepped over the threshold. Aiden’s concentrated scent was overwhelming here, of course, but it competed with a mixed bouquet of chocolate, coffee, and something spicy. His bear was torn as to which he should focus on until Aiden leaned in for a chaste kiss. Growling, Dash’s arms automatically wrapped around the enticing human while scenting his neck thoroughly. His bear threw in a few licks for good measure, but Aiden didn’t seem to mind.
