Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“My bear is making this… difficult,” he says as he looks around.
I don’t know what to say to that, so I just wait for him to volunteer more information.
“He’s trying to get out.”
My eyes must go as big as the coasters on the table because he chuckles. A strained chuckle, but still. “He’s trying to get out?” I ask. Even I can hear the panic in my voice.
“Yeah, but I’m not letting him.”
He suddenly grits his teeth and lets out a low grunt as his whole body tightens. Every muscle—and believe me there’s a lot of them—is flexed to the max.
“Fuck off,” he hisses through his tight jaw. “I got it.”
“You got what?” I ask when his body loosens.
“He doesn’t like all of these guys looking at you,” he says as he looks around with a vicious edge to his eyes. “Either do I.”
“They’re just looking,” I say, trying to get back to the lovey-dovey part of the date like we were doing outside. “It happens all the time.”
His eyes flare as they dart back to me. Oops! Wrong thing to say.
“I mean… It happens. Sometimes.”
“Not with my girl it doesn’t.” I feel waves of protectiveness flowing off him and wrapping around me. He’s staring at me with a territorial look and my body responds to it in a strong way. Heat blooms within me. It travels south and pools between my legs.
“Shifters can be possessive,” he says in a low voice.
“Yeah,” I say, swallowing hard. “I’m kinda getting that.”
“It won’t be so bad once I claim you,” he says, like it’s no big thing. “And once I mark your neck. That will take the edge off, I think. At least it did for my friends.”
I’m unable to breathe as I stare at him. There’s a lot to unpack there.
“Um, claim me?” I say with a gulp. “What does that mean?”
“I told you,” he says in an absolutely shameless way. “Your body was made for me. It’s mine to claim.”
God, my heart is pounding so fast.
“The intensity should settle once I claim that ripe little pussy with my cock.”
The waiter arrives just as he finishes.
“Tequila!” I quickly say. “A lot of it.”
“Okay,” the waiter says with a laugh. “Like a shot?”
“Bigger.”
“A glass?”
“Bigger.”
“All right,” he says with a laugh. “How about I just bring out a big bucket full of Tequila?”
I nod as my cheeks burn hot. “That would be great, thank you.”
He looks at me funny and then turns to Rylan.
“Just bring us two beers for now,” Rylan says, never taking his eyes off me. “Save the bucket of Tequila for later.”
The waiter wanders off and Rylan’s gaze intensifies. Is it hot in here?? Can someone open a freaking window?
“And what was that about you claiming my neck?” I ask with my heart racing. “Did I hear that correctly.”
He nods. “You did.”
“Like a tattoo? Or, maybe a nice necklace?” I like diamonds, I almost add.
He shakes his head as his eyes drop down to the tingling spot under my ear. It’s been tingling all day.
“Bear shifters like to mark their mates with our teeth,” he says. He says it like it’s perfectly normal and not like he’s just driven us into Crazytown at a thousand miles per hour. “That way every shifter who sees her will know that she’s taken. It’s a territorial dominance thing.”
“It’s a psychotic thing,” I say without thinking.
He jerks his head back, looking hurt. “Are you telling me you don’t want me to mark your neck?”
Is this guy freaking serious? I want to drag him back into the MRI machine and do another test. I must have missed something. This guy must have brain damage.
The waiter comes with the beers and puts them onto the table.
I mumble out a thank you and we’re now driving in Awkwardtown as we sip our beers.
“I won’t do anything that you’re not comfortable with,” he finally says.
“Like talking?” I say with a shake of my head. “Because I’m not feeling very comfortable with the words coming out of your mouth.”
He sits back, runs his hand through his hair, and sighs as he looks at me. “I’m not doing very well, am I?”
He’s not. He’s talking crazy. He’s overbearing. He’s over-protective. He’s already coming off as obsessed. But for some reason, my heart goes out to him. I hate seeing him like this—hurting in any way.
I lean forward and put my hand on his. “You’re not doing so bad,” I admit. “Maybe just keep whatever you want to do to my body to yourself. For now.”
He grins as he leans forward and it causes me to suck in my breath.
“What if I say that I want to kiss you?” he whispers as his mouth comes dangerously close to mine.
I can feel the heat of his breath on my tingling lips and it makes me lean in even closer.