The Right Bear's Arms BBW Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance(14)

“I tried to call,” Jake started, shoving his hands into his back pockets. “You didn’t answer and I—”

“I left my phone in Chicago.” Katie brushed a strand of hair back from her face. “I didn’t want to talk to anybody.” I didn’t want to talk to you, specifically.

“Sorry.” He ducked his head and she had to look away. He was too damned adorable. She should be furious with him, but the anger was slipping through her fingers. “I was worried about you,” he said. “And I—I realized some things.”

“Like what?”

Jake bit his lower lip and it took all of Katie’s willpower not to close the distance between them and pull his lip out from between his teeth. If she touched him though, it was over. There wouldn’t be any more talking. Just having him stand five feet away was doing things to her body, warm shivers of remembered touch. “I don’t want a Stepford anything. I think maybe... you and I have different ideas about who we’re supposed to be. And I’ve never met your mom, I swear.”


Was Gran right? Had she learned all the wrong lessons from her mother? “What do you want then?”

“You. Just you.”

Katie’s breath left her lungs. His deep brown eyes rested on hers and he stood like he’d wait forever to hear what she had to say. “What if I said I never wanted to have any kids at all?”

He shrugged. “Then we wouldn’t have any kids.”

“You—you never said how you found me.” It was getting harder and harder to remember why she’d fought so hard to keep him away.

Jake pulled his hands out of his pockets and stepped forward. He carefully pulled at her arms until they uncrossed, and took her hand. “I figured something out while you were gone. Rafe helped me. I have to be me, Katie. You might not like it, but I can’t be anything else. I found you because... I’m an alpha now. I was able to track you. You and any other kinfolk I’ve met, I can find you.”

“You’re an alpha and you don’t care if you have kids?” Katie had to say it out loud, to make sure she understood.

“We’re not all like what you think,” he said. “I... I’ve never met anybody like what you talk about, actually.”

Katie’s legs felt wobbly beneath her. “I think maybe—do you want to come inside?” she tilted her head back toward the door.

“Sure.” He followed her into the cabin and she led him to Gran’s kitchen.

The breakfast dishes were washed and sitting on the dish rack. Without thinking about it too much, Katie filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove. The old familiar routine was grounding, gave her something real to focus on. “Tea?”

“Um, okay?”

She pulled out the mugs and the tea and only then she was refocused enough to be able to sit down. She sat at the table and he sat in the closest chair. “Start from the beginning,” she ordered. “What is it like where you come from? What happens to the kinfolk?”

“Nothing happens to them.” Jake looked puzzled. “I mean, they’re—you’re—obviously attractive as mates, so everybody wants to be on their good side. They’re... respected. Cherished.”

Katie blinked back sudden tears from her eyes. Treated like a princess, Gran had said.

“Hey, hey,” Jake reached out and took her hand. “What’s wrong, did I say the wrong thing?”

“No.” She sniffled and gave her eyes an annoyed swipe. “I hadn’t heard that before today.”

He smiled and kissed her fingers. “I can tell you every day if you let me.” Their eyes met and she felt her lips curving in a return smile. “Katie, I love you. I don’t want to do anything except make you happy.”

Where was that small voice Gran told her about? Shouldn’t she be hearing it right now? Maybe it wasn’t destiny, but that didn’t make what she felt any less real.

“Katie?” Jake looked at her with worried, hopeful eyes.

“I—I think I love you too.” She laughed a little. “I mean, I do. I do love you too.” He leaned in and kissed her before she could say anything else. The moment their lips touched, nothing else mattered to her. She didn’t resist when he pulled her by the hand and into his lap; he was strong enough to hold her. He cradled her in his arms and kissed her, slow and deep like he was never going to stop. His mouth was like honey filling her with sweetness, and she opened to it, wrapping her arms around his neck. When he finally stopped to breathe, he rested his forehead against hers and they breathed together.

“So... your gran said she’d be gone all afternoon.” Jake pressed kisses to her cheeks.

“Are you hinting at something?” Katie teased him, fighting to keep from grinning and losing. “I should warn you, Gran’s got the only double bed in the house, and we are not going in there.”

“I don’t mind somewhere small.” His eyes twinkled wickedly. “I’m going to be on top of you anyway.”

“What if I want to be on top?” She straddled him in the chair, kissing him and trying not to laugh at the same time.

“I thought you expected alphas to be bossy and in charge.” His hands slipped up her sides and he started tickling her, fingers wriggling mercilessly. She yelped and squirmed to get away. “Oh no,” he said, laughing. “You’re mine now.”