Read Online Bear Fire: Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (BBW) (Pine Ridge BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance Series Book 4) by Belinda Meyers - Free Book Online
Authors: Belinda Meyers
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that you’re in it with me, Matt.”
His voice was low and soft as he
said, “I’m not. Not for a minute.”
Chapter 7
Confusion filled Jackie, but also wonder. When she studied
Matt, she only saw honesty and tenderness there. And maybe something else, too.
Maybe … could it really be the beginnings of something stronger? Something
deeper?
She thought so. It frightened her,
but also exhilarated her. She felt a fluttery feeling in her belly and had to
fight the urge to pull away from Matt. She’d never allowed herself to feel for
a man before. Or anyone, really. Not since she’d lost her dad and grandmother.
And after she’d moved to New York, she rarely spoke to her mom anymore.
It was just her, just Jackie,
existing in her own strange, shadowy world, alone and isolated, just as she’d
been since Walsh stole her fire. Sure, she knew people, had contacts. But not
friends. Not confederates. Occasionally she’d tour the bars and drag a man back
to her place for a screw, but that was it. Just physical need, with little
satisfaction, either physical or emotional.
She’d told herself she was beyond
that now. That she was cold. She had no fire, right? It only made sense. If she
wasn’t hot, she must be cold. Like ice. She was Jackie Ice Queen Gage, strong
and proud.
But here Matt comes, all heat and
heart, and strangely—heck, almost magically—she felt her own heart begin to
thaw in response.
“What is it?” he said, evidently
seeing something in her face.
She looked away. “N-nothing.”
Gently, he grabbed her jaw and
turned her face back to his. His eyes met hers like a blow, but a good kind of
blow, and she gasped. She felt like she was staring right into his soul, and he
was staring into hers. The ground seemed to move beneath her. Her breath caught
in her throat.
He crushed his lips to hers. She
kissed back, passionately, playing her tongue against his. She knew he felt it,
too, that connection, that spark. This kiss was something bigger than just a
kiss, it was a seal, a contract—a promise. It was their vow to each other that
they meant something to each other and that their lovemaking hadn’t been a
simple one night stand but the beginning of something larger and deeper than
either had ever experienced before. She knew bear shifters believed in fated
mates, and that if Matt felt this way about her then that meant … that meant …
“Mate,” she sighed when they parted.
His eyes went wide. “What did you
say?”
She was surprised to feel a smile
tug at the corner of her lips. “Mates,” she said. “That’s what you bears
believe, right?”
“Darlin’, belief doesn’t enter into
it.” He tapped his chest over his heart. “My bear can feel it. In here. It just
is.”
Gulp. “What does your bear say …
about us?”
“He doesn’t speak. He growls.”
She rolled her eyes. “What does he
growl?”
“He growls …” Matt smiled, a huge
wide smile, then ducked his head and buried his head against her navel. He gave
her a loud, growling raspberry, and she giggled and beat playfully at his
shoulders. “… this!”
Matt lifted himself up and stared
into her eyes. Again she felt that connection. There was some humor left in his
face, but there was some seriousness there, too.
“Jackie,” Matt said soberly, “when
my bear growls about you he makes me sad.”
“Sad?” That scared her.
“He makes me realize I was sad. Before you came along. Before
you, I’ve never connected with anyone outside my crew, not since I came back
home from overseas. But as soon as you stepped into that bar, something changed
…” He shook his head, as if at a loss.
She reached and stroked his jaw,
then propped herself up and kissed him again.
Softly, she said, “It changed for
me, too.”
“Really?”
“Really really. In fact—”
Clomp,
clomp.
“Shitfire,” Matt said. “It’s one of
them again.”
“What should we do?”
“Can your magic make us
His voice was low and soft as he
said, “I’m not. Not for a minute.”
Chapter 7
Confusion filled Jackie, but also wonder. When she studied
Matt, she only saw honesty and tenderness there. And maybe something else, too.
Maybe … could it really be the beginnings of something stronger? Something
deeper?
She thought so. It frightened her,
but also exhilarated her. She felt a fluttery feeling in her belly and had to
fight the urge to pull away from Matt. She’d never allowed herself to feel for
a man before. Or anyone, really. Not since she’d lost her dad and grandmother.
And after she’d moved to New York, she rarely spoke to her mom anymore.
It was just her, just Jackie,
existing in her own strange, shadowy world, alone and isolated, just as she’d
been since Walsh stole her fire. Sure, she knew people, had contacts. But not
friends. Not confederates. Occasionally she’d tour the bars and drag a man back
to her place for a screw, but that was it. Just physical need, with little
satisfaction, either physical or emotional.
She’d told herself she was beyond
that now. That she was cold. She had no fire, right? It only made sense. If she
wasn’t hot, she must be cold. Like ice. She was Jackie Ice Queen Gage, strong
and proud.
But here Matt comes, all heat and
heart, and strangely—heck, almost magically—she felt her own heart begin to
thaw in response.
“What is it?” he said, evidently
seeing something in her face.
She looked away. “N-nothing.”
Gently, he grabbed her jaw and
turned her face back to his. His eyes met hers like a blow, but a good kind of
blow, and she gasped. She felt like she was staring right into his soul, and he
was staring into hers. The ground seemed to move beneath her. Her breath caught
in her throat.
He crushed his lips to hers. She
kissed back, passionately, playing her tongue against his. She knew he felt it,
too, that connection, that spark. This kiss was something bigger than just a
kiss, it was a seal, a contract—a promise. It was their vow to each other that
they meant something to each other and that their lovemaking hadn’t been a
simple one night stand but the beginning of something larger and deeper than
either had ever experienced before. She knew bear shifters believed in fated
mates, and that if Matt felt this way about her then that meant … that meant …
“Mate,” she sighed when they parted.
His eyes went wide. “What did you
say?”
She was surprised to feel a smile
tug at the corner of her lips. “Mates,” she said. “That’s what you bears
believe, right?”
“Darlin’, belief doesn’t enter into
it.” He tapped his chest over his heart. “My bear can feel it. In here. It just
is.”
Gulp. “What does your bear say …
about us?”
“He doesn’t speak. He growls.”
She rolled her eyes. “What does he
growl?”
“He growls …” Matt smiled, a huge
wide smile, then ducked his head and buried his head against her navel. He gave
her a loud, growling raspberry, and she giggled and beat playfully at his
shoulders. “… this!”
Matt lifted himself up and stared
into her eyes. Again she felt that connection. There was some humor left in his
face, but there was some seriousness there, too.
“Jackie,” Matt said soberly, “when
my bear growls about you he makes me sad.”
“Sad?” That scared her.
“He makes me realize I was sad. Before you came along. Before
you, I’ve never connected with anyone outside my crew, not since I came back
home from overseas. But as soon as you stepped into that bar, something changed
…” He shook his head, as if at a loss.
She reached and stroked his jaw,
then propped herself up and kissed him again.
Softly, she said, “It changed for
me, too.”
“Really?”
“Really really. In fact—”
Clomp,
clomp.
“Shitfire,” Matt said. “It’s one of
them again.”
“What should we do?”
“Can your magic make us
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