The Mane Squeeze

CHAPTER 26

Lock snapped awake and found himself naked in bed. Normally nothing to get worried over except he had no idea how he got there.

“You’re awake. Good.”

He looked over at the doorway and Gwen stood there wearing one of his T-shirts, her arms crossed over her chest.

Sitting up slowly, he studied her close until he nearly begged, “Please tell me I didn’t hurt you.”

“Of course you didn’t.”

“But I scared you?”

“No.”

“Not even a little?”

Gwen shook her head. “No.”

“Oh.”

“You did terrify everyone else, though.”

Lock’s shoulders dropped a bit but he couldn’t help it. “Oh.”

“Do you even remember what happened?”

Sort of. Or maybe not. It was all a jumble right now, which only meant he’d really lost it. Boar-rage lost it.

“I don’t—” Lock shrugged. “Bits and pieces.”

“Well, no one’s dead. If that’s got you worried.”

It did, and he let out a relieved breath.

“Although at least one will need massive reconstructive surgery.”

Shit.

“Lock—”

“It’s all right.” He stretched his shoulders out, the flesh between his blades sore, which meant his grizzly hump had grown while he was still human. Rare and not good. “Really. It’s all right. And I can understand if you’re not comfortable staying here tonight.” He looked up at her. “Or if you want some space or…if you…if you…why are you getting naked?”

Not that he minded, but still. Shouldn’t she be trying to ease her way out the door or keeping a healthy distance between them instead of pulling off the T-shirt and crawling onto the bed?

“Why am I getting naked? Did you really just ask me that?”

“I did, but only because—” Lock closed his eyes, his entire body trembling as Gwen’s skin brushed against his own. So much soft skin on such a lethal feline was making him crazy. He swallowed and tried again. “I’d understand if you feel…uh…” Oh, God. She’s purring. “A little scared about what happened earlier.”

“I don’t feel scared. I’m actually kind of turned on.” She licked his ear with the tip of her tongue. “Does that make me a kinky girl?”

“No, no. Of course not. It’s just—” His eyes crossed as she dragged her nails across the mass of sore and ultrasensitive muscles between his shoulder blades.

“It’s just what, Lock?” she purred into his ear. “Because if there’s one thing we both know, baby, is that the one person who was safe in that room was me. I know you’ll never hurt me. I know you’ll always protect me. And I know I’ll never stop loving you.”

Did she know that was all he needed to hear? All he needed to know?

Wanting to show her, he turned fast, his hands digging into Gwen’s hair and tilting her head back before he ruthlessly took her mouth with his own.

No one’s hands had ever felt so good on her before. The way Lock stroked her, petted her, his hands gentle but firm.

She hadn’t been lying when she told him she knew she’d never been safer. Everyone else was at risk from Lock’s vicious boar-rage, but not Gwen, not his friends, not his family. He’d, in fact, been protecting her more than himself. It was the danger she was in that had sent him into battle mode. Her grizzly had felt the need to protect its mate.

Not smother her, protect her. There was a difference between those two things that a lot of guys never understood. Mitch sure didn’t, which was why he had to find a female who fought him every step of the way. But Gwen had found Lock, who was there when she needed him to be, and backed off when she didn’t.

At the moment, though, he needed her. The mighty bear might be comfortable with his power, but he wasn’t comfortable losing control. Unlike most shifters, he got no enjoyment out of hurting others, and she could tell he’d never dismiss anyone or anything as merely “collateral damage.”

How Gwen O’Neill found a man of integrity, she’d never know, but she would be eternally grateful.

Gwen pulled out of their kiss, her hands brushing Lock’s shoulders, his chest. She made sure to involve her nails because, as much as he may complain about them, she could tell they drove him crazy in other ways.

“Lay back,” she said, her hands flat against his shoulders. He did and Gwen slowly ran her nails down his chest, across his stomach, lingering over the tight abdominal muscles. He moaned and moved restlessly on the bed. She smiled at his reaction, enjoying his response to her touch.

She dragged her hands down his thighs, always amazed not merely at the size of them, but at the strength. Everything about his body illustrated pure, unadulterated power waiting to be unleashed. Yet it was that constantly analyzing, rational brain that turned him into straight catnip for Gwen.

Taking the tip of her forefinger, she dragged her nail along the length of his cock. Hard and long, it jerked at her touch while Lock’s hands dug into the bedding beneath him. It already stood up straight, the thick head weeping fluid. Like the cat she was, Gwen took a quick swipe of it with her tongue. His reaction was so strong, the heavy bed frame moved beneath them, and Gwen decided a little cleaning was in order. The feline in her did like things tidy.

She started at the tip and worked her way down, alternating between short and quick licks to long, drawn-out ones that went from base to tip. She lost track of time as she focused all her attention on Lock. He groaned her name and she could smell his sweat as he fought his desire to grab her and fuck the hell out of her. She admired his restraint and yet had no problem using it against him while they were in bed. What could she say? She enjoyed making him crazy, bringing out the grizzly inside.

By the time she took his cock in her mouth, relaxing her throat muscles so she could swallow the entire length of him, his claws were out, and he’d moved from groaning to a guttural grunting that should have made her nervous but didn’t.

Already on the edge, Lock barely lasted for another two minutes before he came, his initial roar of release ending on a steady hum.

Gwen sat up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and staring at the humming male stretched out beside her. He had his face turned away, but his entire body was relaxed.

Still, she had to ask. “What is with the humming?”

Although she could only see part of his face, she did see the way the corner of his mouth curled into a smile even as his eyes stayed closed.

“Contentment, Gwen,” he said softly before he turned his head and opened his eyes to gaze at her. “It means contentment.”

She looked down at her hands, seemingly uncomfortable with his answer. He didn’t know why. A bear couldn’t pay a higher compliment. Contentment, like pure gold, was not easy to come by in this world.

Lock reached for her, taking her hand and tugging her close until he could slide his fingers into her hair, bringing her head down for a kiss. He tasted himself on her lips and in her mouth and he grew hard again knowing she’d taken all of him without backing off. Of course, Gwen never backed off. She might skirt around, climb over, or circle in, but she never backed off until she got what she wanted.

As they kissed, Lock used his free hand and slid it between her thighs. He needed to be inside her, but he didn’t want to take her too soon. Yet his fingers glided inside her pussy and he could feel how wet and ready she was for him. Touching him, sucking him had turned her on, and his fingers inside her had her writhing on his hand.

He pulled away, and Gwen mewled, her brows drawing down. But he wasn’t nearly done with her.

Pushing her back, Lock dragged himself up. She began to lie down, and he grunted at her, pulling her back up and moving her around until she was on all fours and facing away from him. He grabbed a condom and put it on before settling in behind her. He braced his arms in front of her, his forearms pressing into her shoulders to hold her in place as he positioned his hips behind her. With one hard thrust, he entered her, grunting hard as all that wet heat wrapped around his cock, her muscles flexing as she worked to take all of him in.

“Link your hands with mine,” he whispered against her neck.

Gwen nodded and wrapped her arms around his forearms, her hands clutching his, their fingers interlacing.

“I love you, Gwenie,” he said before he took her in long, hard strokes.

He wasn’t gentle with her, his arms keeping her trapped where she was while he fucked her with everything he had in him. But Gwen didn’t seem to mind. Her head rubbed against his arm while she begged him to go “harder, faster” and then “Don’t stop. Don’t ever stop.”

He wouldn’t. Even when they were too old to bother anymore, he’d still never stop showing her how much he loved her, needed her, wanted her in his life.

Claws dug into his arm and Lock nuzzled the back of her neck, dragging his mouth along her skin. It rippled where he touched her and she met each of his thrusts with her own, her breath choking as she cried out. Her muscles tightened around him so much, nothing could have stopped him from coming, his body shuddering around hers.

Lock caught her in his arms and turned on his side as he crashed to the bed. They stayed like that for long minutes, too tired to move.

“At some point,” Gwen told him, her voice sounding moments from sleep, “we’re going to have to find a way to get honey in on this because I’m almost positive it’s like your ultimate fantasy, right?”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Mittens,” he laughed, kissing her neck and enjoying that her hair was currently so short he didn’t have to push it out of the way. “We have lots of time, and I have lots of honey.”