Page 27 of Flare (Bearpaw Ridge Firefighters #17)

Comfort

Emily stared into the darkness, sleep eluding her yet again. It had been days since Ward had kissed her, but the ghost of his lips on hers still haunted her in the most delicious way.

She closed her eyes and let the memory wash over her. Her fingertips drifted to her mouth, tracing where his had been. A hot throbbing sprang to life between her legs as she recalled the heat that had sparked under his hungry kiss, then spread like wildfire through her body.

Staying at his place over the past few days had only deepened the connection she felt with him. The way he moved around his kitchen in the morning, fixing her coffee exactly how she liked it. The way he checked in on her without hovering. The way his eyes lit up when she made him laugh.

Being with Ward felt… right .

And then there was the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn ’ t paying attention, as if she were the most important thing in his world.

Emily shifted beneath the covers, a restless heat spreading through her. Her body ached to be closer to him. And not just for comfort. He was so sexy it should be illegal… that broad, hard chest, his big, sinewy hands, bulging biceps. And he was kind in a way that seemed bone-deep and unshakable.

There was just one problem… A rope of anxiety tightened around her chest, squeezing her.

Ward was a bear shifter. Just like Andrew.

Could she trust her feelings about Ward? After all, Andrew had made her feel special, too. His chosen one. She ’ d been so na?ve, so eager to believe in the fairy tale he was selling.

Ward was nothing like him. She knew that.

But what if I ’ m wrong again? What if my man-picker is broken?

Having one bear shifter trying to own her was a nightmare.

She couldn ’ t imagine what would happen if Ward suddenly started acting that way, too.

Reaching out, her fingers found the carved wooden bear pendant on her nightstand. It was small enough to fit in her palm, the wood smooth and warm to the touch.

Holding it calmed her a little, as did the panic button clipped to the leather cord next to the pendant. Ward had told her that if she pressed it, he and the Bearpaw Ridge Police Department would come to her aid immediately.

She reminded herself that she ’ d known Ward for a long time, even if only as Maggie ’ s shy cousin.

And everything he ’ d done for her this week showed she could trust him.

He ’ d given her a place to stay without hesitation.

And he ’ d respected her need for space while still making sure she knew she wasn ’ t alone.

And though he was clearly interested in dating her—the kiss they ’ d shared had made that abundantly clear—he hadn ’ t pressured her since she ’ d asked him to give her time.

Looking back, Andrew had never respected her boundaries, even before things started going wrong between them.

Once they began dating, he ’ d call and text her multiple times a day. He ’ d show up at her apartment unannounced. Even worse, he ’ d whisper intimate things in her ear at work functions, making her blush in front of his other employees and colleagues.

Back then, she ’ d found his persistence flattering, as if she were so desirable he couldn ’ t control himself. Now, she recognized those behaviors for what they were—signs that Andrew had felt entitled to her time, her attention, and her body.

Ward was different. When she ’ d pulled away from their kiss, flustered and confused, he ’ d immediately backed off. He ’ d given her space without making a fuss.

As if summoned by her train of thought, her phone suddenly began dinging with rapid-fire incoming text messages. Emily reached for it, squinting at the sudden brightness of the screen.

From : Unknown Number:

11:06 PM : Emmie, baby, please. I need to talk to you.

11:06 PM : I know you ’ re reading these. Stop ignoring me.

11:07 PM: I just wanted to talk yesterday. You didn ’ t have to make a big production out of it. WTF?

11:07 PM: Why are you making me into the bad guy? I love you, Emmie.

11:08 PM: You said you ’ d never turn your back on me. And now you ’ ve got cops and shifters after me like I ’ m some monster?

11:08 PM: You ’ ve ruined everything. Did Maggie put you up to this?

11:09 PM: Please. Please just talk to me. If you ’ d just listen , you ’ d see I ’ m not the bad guy here.

11:09 PM: I can ’ t live without you, Em. You know what we are to each other. You felt the bond too.

11:10 PM: I ’ m not eating. I haven ’ t slept in days. It ’ s like part of me is dying.

11:10 PM: If you walk away from me forever, I don ’ t know what I ’ ll do.

11:11 PM: I can ’ t live in a world where you hate me. If you don ’ t text back, I ’ ll know you want me dead. Maybe that ’ s what you want.

11:11 PM: You ’ re breaking my heart. Do you even care?

11: 12 PM : You belong with me. You ’ re my mate. That means you ’ re mine, forever.

11: 12 PM : I know where you are. Did you think I wouldn ’ t find out?

11:12 PM : We ’ re not done, Emily. This isn ’ t over until you come home.

Emily ’ s hands shook as she blocked Andrew ’ s new number and then set her phone to Do Not Disturb.

Her heart was pounding so hard that she thought Ward could hear it from his bedroom down the hall. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, trying to make herself as small as possible, as if that could somehow protect her.

He found me again!

“ Oh God,” she said aloud, her voice cracking on the words. She pressed her forehead against her knees and tried to breathe through the panic clawing at her throat.

A soft rap on her bedroom door made her jerk upright.

“ Emily?” Ward asked. “ Is everything okay?”

She swallowed hard, feeling a ridiculous surge of relief. “ N-not really.”

There was a brief pause. “ Can I come in?”

“ Please,” she whispered, knowing his enhanced hearing would pick it up.

The door opened slowly, and Ward stood silhouetted in the doorway, wearing only a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. The dim light from the hallway highlighted the broad planes of his chest and heavily muscled shoulders, and the furring of dark hair across his pectorals.

“ What happened?” he asked, his voice gentle.

“ Andrew just texted me.” Emily ’ s voice shook. “ He knows where I am, Ward. He told me he won ’ t stop until I go back to him.” She looked up at him, not trying to hide the fear she felt. “ I ’ m so scared right now.”

Ward crossed the room in a single long stride and sank down onto the edge of her bed. “ I won ’ t let him hurt you.” He patted her shoulder. “ And he ’ s probably lying about knowing where you are. Or he would ’ ve just come here instead of texting you.”

“ Crap, you ’ re right.” She stared at him, suddenly feeling stupid. “ That never even occurred to me.”

“ Because he rattled you,” Ward said comfortingly. “ Now, try to get some sleep. You ’ ve had a long day.”

Emily reached for his hand. “ Will you… stay with me tonight? I don ’ t want to be alone.” Oh God, she was pathetic. But she needed him right here beside her.

Ward ’ s eyes widened slightly, but he nodded. “ Of course.”

Emily scooted over to the other side of the bed, making room for him. Ward stretched out beside her, careful to maintain a small space between them. Even that slight distance felt like too much to Emily.

She craved his warmth, his strength, and wanted the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear to drown out the sound of her own frantic pulse.

“ If Andrew tries anything,” Ward said, his voice a low rumble in the darkness, “ he ’ ll have to come through me first. And I ’ ve never lost a fight.”

Emily believed him. There was no bravado in his words, just a simple statement of fact. She rolled onto her side to face him, studying the firm line of his jaw, his straight nose, the gentle curve of his lips.

“ Thank you,” she whispered.

He turned to look at her, and the desire in his eyes made her breath catch. She couldn ’ t resist her own needs anymore. She gathered up her courage, leaned over and pressed her lips to his.

Ward froze for a heartbeat, then responded with a hunger that matched her own.

His hand came up to cradle her face, his thumb stroking her cheek as his mouth moved against hers. His lips were soft but insistent, coaxing rather than demanding.

Emily sighed into the kiss, melting against him. His tongue teased the seam of her lips, and she opened eagerly for him, letting him explore her mouth. His hand slid from her face to her hair, tangling in the strands as he deepened the kiss.

The hot throbbing reawakened between her legs. She rolled on top of him, needing to feel the solid warmth of his body against hers.

“ Oh, fuck, Emily, you ’ re so beautiful,” Ward groaned.

His hand left her hair to trail down her back, coming to rest on the curve of her ass, his touch respectful even in this moment of passion.

“ Is this okay?” he murmured against her lips.

“ Yes,” she breathed. “ More than okay.”

His hand traveled lower. When his fingers brushed the bare skin of her thigh below her panties, she gasped at the jolt of electricity that shot through her.

Ward pulled back slightly, his eyes searching hers. “ Too much?”

“ I need more,” she said, reaching back to guide his hand between her legs.

With his free hand, he drew her down for another long, passionate kiss while his fingers traced lazy patterns on her inner thigh, never quite reaching where she wanted him most. His teasing touches had her squirming, her hips lifting slightly in silent invitation.

“ Tell me where you want me to touch you,” Ward whispered, his breath hot against her ear. “ I need to hear you say it.”

She gasped as he nipped her lobe with sharp teeth, a zing of pleasure arrowing straight down to the pit of her belly, fanning the flames even higher.

“ Touch my pussy,” she pleaded. “ I—I want to ride your hand.” Just the thought almost made her come.

He reversed their positions, so that she lay beneath him. His fingers finally slipped beneath the elastic of her panties.