Page 9 of Cowboy Bear’s Hope (Motley Crewd Shifters #3)

E ver since I’d arrived at the Motley Crewd Ranch, I’d been building.

Not just this cabin, but a whole new life—or at least trying to.

Max gave me the two-story log cabin, like he did every one of the Crew, complete with a wraparound porch, big, picturesque windows, and enough charm to make it Instagram-worthy, someday.

When I first moved in, though, it looked more like a haunted house than a dream home.

The porch sagged like it had given up on life. The windows were so dirty they could’ve doubled as blackout curtains. And don’t even get me started on the inside. Let’s just say the raccoons seemed to think they owned the place.

I’d let my Bear roam the grounds, marking up the trees and getting my scent to rid the area of unwanted critters. They knew better than to stick around once the big dogs, or Bears , moved in.

Then I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

Every spare dime and free minute went into fixing it up, piece by piece.

By the time I was done, it wasn’t just a cabin— it was my cabin .

A home. A place where I could picture bringing a mate, raising a family, and maybe even teaching my kids to wield a hammer without smashing their thumbs.

And then came Avery.

She arrived in my life like a lightning bolt in the middle of a clear day, all fire and fury. Far as first meetings went, ours wasn’t exactly romantic—unless your idea of romance involved a woman wielding a baseball bat and me walking straight into it.

To her credit, she thought I was one of the people helping Max to keep her best friend hostage.

To my credit, I didn’t cry. Much.

Seriously, though, getting hit in the head with a bat fucking hurts.

Despite that less-than-perfect start, my Bear knew right then she was it. My one true mate.

Of course, Avery wasn’t the demure mate I’d had in mind.

She was feisty, stubborn, and had a knack for turning my perfectly laid plans into chaos.

But damn, if she didn’t make my life better for it.

And now here we were, sitting in the living room of the cabin I’d poured my heart and soul into.

The fire crackled in the background, casting a warm glow over everything, snow falling outside blanketing the whole area in white, but I barely noticed any of it.

How could I? Avery—this beautiful, infuriating, incredible woman—was in my lap, kissing me like it was an Olympic sport and she was going for gold.

Honestly, I was trying to keep up, but it was hard to think when her hands were tangled in my hair and her lips were doing things that short-circuited my brain.

This wasn’t just a kiss. This was the culmination of every fantasy I’d ever had.

She pulled back just enough to catch her breath, and I blinked at her like a dazed idiot.

“You okay there, cowboy?” she teased, a wicked little grin tugging at her lips.

“Yeah,” I managed, my voice a little hoarse. “Just trying to remember how to breathe.”

She laughed, the sound bubbling out of her like sunshine, and in that moment, I knew one thing for certain.

Life with Avery was going to be a lot of things, but boring sure as hell wasn’t one of them.

Holy. Fuck.

She was so damn sexy. So warm and sweet. The soft curves of her body melded to mine, and I’d never been so hard in all my life. I was seconds from embarrassing myself.

“Are you sure this is okay? I mean, you turned me down those other times, and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable?—”

“Whoa, slow down, Honey. I don’t know what I did to make you think I would ever turn you down, but I swear to every god in the universe, I want you more than anything,” I growled, my Bear making my voice rough.

“But I’m a single mom and you said at Emmet’s wedding I had too many responsibilities for you to want to get involved,” she whispered, and ducked her head.

But I wasn’t having any of that. I cupped her cheek and waited for her to lift those gorgeous eyes to mine.

“Avery, I wasn’t saying I didn’t want you because of that. I was doubting myself. See, I didn’t think I was worthy of you and Rosie.”

“Why on earth would you think that?”

“What do you know about Penny and Max?” I asked.

My Bear snarled. He wanted me to shut the fuck up and just claim her. My whole body was on fire, burning with the need to mark this woman as my own.

But despite being a Shifter, I wasn’t an animal. Avery deserved the truth. And she deserved the opportunity to say no. Even if it killed me.

“What? Oh, um, well they are mates. Max bit Penny, um, during sex and she’s like him now,” she said.

“Do you know what I am?”

Her eyes dilated and her expression turned dreamy as she ran her hands up my chest and to my face,

“I know you’re Dante. You’re a good man, and I am guessing you have a secret, too. Like Max?”

“I do. See, I’m not human like you, Honey. I’m a Shifter.”

“A Shifter? Like a Werewolf?” she questioned.

“Sort of. But I’m not a Wolf. I’m a Grizzly Bear Shifter.”

“You mean you turn into a Bear?” Avery’s eyes widened, and she shivered all over.

“You’re safe, Honey. I don’t want you to be afraid. Me and my Bear would never hurt you,” I said.

It was very important to me she understood that. Avery smiled then, and all my angst eased under the warm glow of her happiness.

This woman was so special. So strong and heartbreakingly beautiful. She had the power to make or break a man like me.

Did she know? Could she tell I was completely besotted?

“I know,” she said.

“You know?”

“I know I’m safe with you, Magic Man. I knew that the first time I met you,” she said, and licked her lips.

“You did? Then why have you been pushing me away?”

“Because I thought you rejected me first, and I was trying to protect myself.”

“Oh, Honey, I would never reject you. I couldn’t if I tried. And I don’t want to try.”

“Why?” she whispered, her eyes narrowed on my lips, conjuring a growl from my inner beast.

“Because you’re mine, Avery Brown. All mine.”

I pulled her to me, making sure she had ample time to refuse before I slid my lips against hers, claiming her mouth like I’d been dying to for months.

She moaned sweetly, and I swallowed the sound, capturing her response and making it a part of me. My Grizzly rumbled his approval.

The animal couldn’t wait to stake our claim. But she was human. I had to take it slow.

“I’ve got a confession,” I said, kissing her again.

“What?”

“I’m a novice here, Honey. You’ll have to tell me if I do something wrong.”

“A novice? You mean you’ve never been with a woman?” she asked, and I could sense her surprise.

“Never,” I confessed the truth.

“But how? Why?”

“My Bear wouldn’t allow it. The beast never wanted anyone’s touch. He was waiting, you see.”

“For what?”

“Not what. Who ,” I corrected her. “See, my Bear was determined to abstain from sex until we met our fated mate, Avery.”

“Are you saying I’m your fated mate? But I can’t be,” she said, shaking her head at the same time wonder filled her tone.

She moved back, and I allowed it. Hating how cold I felt as she stood between my splayed legs, her hands covering her mouth.

“I’ve been waiting for you my whole life, Honey,” I whispered, tracing circles on her waist where I still loosely held her.

I just couldn’t bring myself to let her go completely. Not just yet. Not till she told me to.

“I won’t force you. I won’t use tricks or wiles to seduce you. Not that I’d even know how. But I’ll be true to you, Avery. If you choose me, I swear I will do everything in my power to be worthy of you and little Rosie.”

“So you mean you want to claim me? Like have sex?” she asked, her voice going incredibly high on the last word.

“I want to claim you, yes. But I need you to understand this won’t be just sex for me. It can’t be. If I take you, if I make you mine, it’s forever. My Bear won’t survive if you walked away,” I said, and braced myself for rejection.

“And you don’t mind about Rosie? That she’s not yours?”

“Honey, ever since I met that little girl, my Bear has been calling her his cub. If you say yes, she’ll be mine, same as if I fathered her. Same as any other cubs you might want to give me someday,” I whispered, confessing my most sacred hope.

“I-I don’t know, Dante. I mean, I thought you hated me. But I feel?—”

“What do you feel?” I asked, pushing away the hurt that slapped at me when she said she thought I hated her.

“Warm and wet. I want you so badly,” she whimpered and pressed her thighs together.

“You don’t have to decide right now,” I said, giving her as much of an out as I could.

“But what about? I mean,” she murmured, motioning to the obvious erection beneath my jeans.

“Don’t worry about that. Come here, Honey. Let me make you feel good,” I growled, sucking in her heady scent greedily like the beggar I was.

“Dante,” she whimpered, allowing me to pull her close.

Lifting her shirt, I kissed her belly first. She ran her fingers through my hair, and I moaned, nibbling and licking a path upwards, all the way to her cotton-covered breasts.

The simple underwear should have been plain. But on her it was sexy as fuck. I pulled on the cups until her heavy mounds spilled from them, falling into my waiting hands.

“Fuck, Honey. You’re so beautiful,” I groaned and suckled her one at a time.

Avery responded instantly. Climbing back onto my lap and holding me tight while I lavished attention on her.

My cock was dripping precum inside my pants, but I didn’t give a fuck. I wasn’t going to stop.

“Oh God. Dante, please,” she moaned, her hips moving restlessly as she sought something that seemed just out of reach.

“What do you need, Honey? Tell me and you can have it.”

She looked at me with her pupils completely blown and she licked her lips, sealing my fate just like that.

It didn’t matter if Avery only wanted this from me. I was helpless to deny her. And if it meant my total and complete ruination, then so be it.

I would do anything for this woman.

Even slit my own throat, metaphorically speaking.

Grrrrr.