Page 36 of Flare (Bearpaw Ridge Firefighters #17)

Mutually Mated

Ward could barely keep his hands to himself as they walked up the porch steps of his home two hours later.

The ring on Emily ’ s finger caught the porch light, sending a spark of possessive pride through his chest.

His bear rumbled with satisfaction deep inside him. After weeks of carrying that ring in his pocket, waiting for the perfect moment, Emily had said yes.

She wanted to be his wife, his mate, the center of his world for the rest of their lives.

He fumbled with the keys, distracted by her scent and her smile, which hadn ’ t dimmed since she ’ d accepted his proposal.

“ Need some help with that?” Emily teased, her breath warm against his ear as she leaned close, deliberately pressing her lush breasts against his arm.

Ward growled playfully. “ Not unless you want to spend the night on the porch.”

“ I don ’ t know,” she murmured, pressing a feather-light kiss to his neck. “ Might be fun.”

His hands finally cooperated, and the door swung open. They stepped into the darkened house, and Ward didn ’ t bother with the lights. The moment the door clicked shut behind them, he backed Emily against the wall, his hands framing her face as he looked down at her.

“ Do you have any idea,” he whispered, “ how long I ’ ve been waiting to make you mine?”

Emily ’ s blue eyes shimmered in the moonlight streaming through the windows. “ Tell me.”

“ Since the first time I saw you in the hallway at school.” His thumb traced her lower lip. “ My bear knew immediately you were the one. He ’ s been driving me crazy ever since, demanding I claim you.”

“ So why didn ’ t you ever ask me out on a date in high school?” Her fingers curled into the front of his shirt.

Ward laughed. “ Because you intimidated the shit out of me. What could a gorgeous senior girl see in some nerdy junior boy?”

Her eyes widened. “ I would ’ ve gone out with you in a heartbeat,” she declared to his astonishment. “ I always thought you were the sweetest guy. And cute, too. Well, you ’ ve got me now, big guy. I ’ m all yours… forever.”

He leaned in and captured her mouth with his, pouring all his desire into the kiss.

Emily responded instantly, her arms wrapping around his neck as she arched against him. Ward ’ s bear surged forward, demanding more, but he kept his beast in check—barely.

His hands slid down her sides, mapping the familiar delicious curve of her waist and rounded swell of her hips through her sundress.

He ’ d been imagining this moment for so long, dreaming of finally claiming Emily as his mate, that the reality of her warm and willing in his arms was almost overwhelming.

“ Ward,” she gasped when they broke apart for air. “ I want you. Now.”

Those words shattered the last of his restraint. He kissed her again, harder this time, his tongue sweeping into her mouth as his hands gripped her hips. Emily moaned against his lips, the sound traveling straight to his groin. His cock strained against his jeans, already painfully hard.

“ Bedroom,” he managed between kisses, but made no move to release her.

Emily ’ s hands were already working at the buttons of his shirt, her fingers trembling slightly with urgency. “ Too far,” she breathed against his mouth.

Ward chuckled darkly, nipping at her lower lip. “ You deserve better than a quick fuck against the wall.” He stepped back just enough to grasp the hem of her sundress, pulling it up and over her head in one smooth motion.

The sight of her standing there in nothing but a pale blue bra and matching panties knocked the breath from his lungs.

“ Christ, you ’ re gorgeous,” he whispered.

Emily ’ s fingers returned to his shirt, working the remaining buttons free. “ Your turn,” she said, pushing the fabric off his shoulders.

Ward shrugged out of his shirt, letting it fall to the floor beside her dress. Emily ’ s hands immediately went to his chest, exploring the contours of muscle before tracing the thick scars that marred his torso.

When her fingers trailed down to the waistband of his jeans, Ward caught her wrists gently.

“ If you touch me there right now,” he warned, “ this will be over before it begins.”

Her smile was pure temptation. “ We have all night.”

“ Yes, we do.” He released her wrists to unclasp her bra, licking his lips as her gorgeous breasts spilled free. “ And I plan to use every minute.”

He bent his head to capture one pink nipple between his lips.

Emily ’ s head fell back against the wall with a soft thump.

Her fingers threaded through his hair, holding him to her as he licked and sucked the way he knew drove her crazy with desire.

He switched to her other breast, giving it the same attention while his hands slid down to cup her ass, kneading the firm flesh through the thin fabric of her panties.

“ Ward,” she moaned, arching into his mouth. “ Please.”

The need in her voice, coupled with the heady perfume of her arousal, nearly broke his control.

He straightened, capturing her mouth again as he lifted her into his arms. Emily wrapped her legs around his waist, her heat pressing against his denim-shielded erection.

He carried her down the hallway toward the bedroom, their mouths never separating for more than a moment to gasp for air.

When they reached the bedroom, Ward gently laid Emily on the king-sized bed he ’ d built with his own hands. He flicked on the bedside lamp, then drank in the sight of her.

Her blonde hair spread across the pillows like spun gold. Her skin was flushed with desire, her chest rising and falling with quick, eager breaths. His cock throbbed almost painfully as he quickly shed his jeans and boxers, finally allowing himself to stand naked before her.

Emily ’ s gaze traveled down his body, lingering on his erection with undisguised hunger. “ Come here, my love,” she whispered, holding out her arms. “ Fuck me. I ’ ve been wanting this for months.”

Ward almost took her up on her invitation, then regained control. “ Not yet.” He hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties. “ Lift your hips for me, Em.”

She complied immediately, allowing him to slide the blue lace down her long legs. When she was finally, gloriously naked, Ward kneeled at the foot of the bed, spreading her thighs. The scent of her arousal hit him like a physical force, making his bear growl with anticipation.

But before he could lose himself in her body, there was something vital he needed to say.

“ Emily,” he said, his voice serious despite the thundering of his heart.

“ Before we go further… if we make love tonight, my bear will form a mating bond with you. It ’ s permanent, Emily.

It means I ’ ll be connected to you for life—emotionally, spiritually, and physically. There ’ s no going back from it.”

Emily was quiet for a moment, processing his words. “ And… what would it mean for me? Since I ’ m not a shifter?”

“ It depends. Most Ordinary humans don ’ t feel any difference at all. A few can form a connection of sorts. They can sense their mate ’ s emotions, and even tell when their mate is nearby.” He took her hand, pressing it over his heart. “ But whatever happens, I ’ ll always be there for you.”

“ Will it hurt you?” she asked softly. “ Andrew… he changed a lot after we got together.”

Ward shook his head. “ I ’ m told it feels like coming home.”

Emily ’ s smile was radiant. “ Ward Swanson,” she said, her voice steady and certain, “ I want to be your mate. I want to be bonded to you in every way possible. I want to feel you inside me and know that we belong to each other completely.”

Relief and joy flooded through him. “ You ’ re absolutely sure?”

In answer, Emily pulled him down for a kiss that left no doubt about her certainty. “ I love you,” she whispered against his lips. “ All of you—the man and the bear. I choose you, Ward. I want to be your mate.”

The last threads of Ward ’ s restraint snapped.

He kissed her deeply, passionately, his hands rediscovering her body with newfound urgency.

Her skin was silk beneath his callused palms, her breasts perfect handfuls that fit as if they ’ d been made for him.

He trailed kisses down her neck, pausing to lick the hollow at the base of her throat, where her pulse throbbed against his lips.

Emily arched beneath him, her nails scraping down his back. “ Please,” she gasped. “ I need you.”

“ Soon,” Ward promised, continuing his journey down her body. “ But first, I want to taste you.”

He settled between her thighs, his hands gripping her hips as he dragged his tongue through her folds in a slow stroke.

Emily ’ s sharp cry of pleasure made his cock twitch against the mattress.

She always tasted like heaven—sweet and tangy and unmistakably Emily.

He lapped at her with deliberate slowness, savoring every sound she made, every clench of her thighs against his shoulders.

When he closed his lips around her clit and sucked hard, Emily ’ s back bowed off the bed. “ Ward!” she cried out, her hands fisting in his hair.

He slid one finger inside her, then another, curving them to find the spot that made her gasp and tremble. Her inner walls clenched around his fingers, hot and slick and so ready for him it took all his willpower not to replace his fingers with his cock immediately.

“ That ’ s it,” he murmured against her, “ let go for me, Em. I want to feel you come on my tongue.”

His words seemed to push her over the edge. Emily ’ s thighs tensed around his head as she came with a cry that might have been his name, her body pulsing around his fingers in rhythmic waves. Ward continued to lick and suck gently, drawing out her pleasure.

When he finally lifted his head, she was watching him through half-lidded eyes, her chest heaving with rapid breaths. “ Come here,” she said, reaching for him.