Page 21 of Grumpy Bear (Return To Fate Mountain #4)

When her fingers reached his belt, Henry caught her wrists gently.

He guided her backward until her legs met the bed edge, then carefully lowered her onto the plush mattress.

Ivy propped herself up on her elbows, watching as he knelt to remove her shoes.

His large hands cradled each foot with unexpected tenderness as he placed a kiss on her ankle, then her calf, working his way upward with deliberate patience.

By the time his mouth reached her inner thigh, Ivy was trembling with anticipation, her pussy slick with arousal, her clit throbbing with each heartbeat.

His breath ghosted over the damp lace between her legs, making her hips lift involuntarily.

Henry looked up the length of her body, his eyes glowed amber in the dim light.

“You are so fucking beautiful,” he whispered, hooking his fingers into her panty waistband and slowly sliding them down her legs. “How did I get such a gorgeous mate?”

Ivy’s breath caught as his hands returned to her thighs, gently spreading them wider. The cool air against her wet folds made her shiver with anticipation.

The first touch of his tongue against her cunt made her cry out. He growled in response, the sound vibrating against her sensitive flesh as he tasted her.

Her fingers tangled in his hair, held him closer as pleasure built within her.

Henry’s hands gripped her hips, controlled her increasingly frantic movements as his tongue circled her clit before plunging inside her.

When he added his fingers, two thick digits stretching her pussy while his mouth continued its relentless assault, Ivy felt herself spiraling toward release.

“Henry,” she gasped, teetering on the edge. “God, you’re so good at this.”

He redoubled his efforts, sucked her swollen clit between his lips while his fingers curled inside her, found the spot that made her see stars. Ivy shattered with a hoarse cry, her body convulsed around his fingers as wave after wave of pleasure crashed through her.

Before she could fully recover, Henry moved up her body, loomed over her with predatory grace.

His mouth descended on hers in a kiss that let her taste herself on his lips.

The erotic flavor, combined with his weight pressing her into the mattress, rekindled her desire instantly.

She felt his erection against her thigh through his slacks, impossibly hard.

Ivy reached between them, palm sliding over the impressive bulge with firm pressure that made him groan against her mouth.

She traced the outline of his cock, felt it twitch beneath her touch before moving to unfasten his belt.

The leather slid free with a hiss as she pulled it through the loops.

The button of his slacks came next, then the zipper, revealing the damp spot where his pre-come had soaked through his underwear.

Henry lifted his hips, allowed her to push the fabric down his powerful thighs.

He kicked his slacks and boxer briefs away, left him gloriously naked above her.

His cock sprang free, thick and heavy, the swollen head glistening with pre-come.

Ivy wrapped her fingers around his shaft, felt the velvety skin slide over steel hardness as she stroked him from base to tip.

“Fuck,” Henry hissed, his hips jerking into her touch.

Suddenly Ivy needed to be on top, to take control of this moment.

She pushed at his shoulder, and he understood immediately, rolled onto his back and brought her with him in one fluid movement.

Ivy straddled his hips, her knees planted on either side of his waist, her pussy hovering just above his straining erection.

Her hands splayed across his broad chest, felt the rapid thunder of his heart beneath her palms.

Slowly, maintaining eye contact, she reached behind herself to unfasten her bra.

Henry’s hands settled on her thighs, his fingers tightening as the garment fell away, revealing her breasts to his hungry gaze.

A low rumble emanated from his chest, the bear within responding to the sight.

He reached up to cup them, thumbs brushed across her nipples until they hardened into sensitive peaks.

“So fucking perfect,” he growled, rising slightly to take one nipple into his mouth.

His tongue laved the sensitive bud while his teeth scraped gently across it, sent electric shocks straight to her core.

Ivy arched into his mouth, ground her slick pussy against his cock, coated him with her arousal.

The friction was exquisite but not enough.

She pushed him back down on the mattress, then reached toward her clutch on the nightstand drawer. Henry watched with hungry eyes as she retrieved a small foil packet.

“Always prepared,” he murmured appreciatively, his voice rough with need.

“Part of being a scientist,” she replied with a smile as she tore open the wrapper. “We plan for contingencies.”

With deft fingers, she rolled the condom down his length, her touch deliberately slow and teasing. Henry’s muscles tensed beneath her, his jaw clenched as he fought to maintain control.

After securing the condom, she lifted herself slightly on trembling thighs and reached between them.

Ivy wrapped her fingers around his thick shaft, positioning the blunt head at her entrance.

She teased them both, rubbed the swollen tip through her wet folds, circled her clit with it until they were both panting with need.

“Ivy,” Henry groaned, his voice strained as his hands moved to her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh, not painful but demanding. “Need to be inside you. Now.”

Their eyes locked as she slowly lowered herself onto him, her body stretching to accommodate his impressive size.

The sensation of being filled so completely drew a low, throaty moan from her lips.

Inch by delicious inch, she took him deeper until she was filled with his full length. Her inner walls clenched around him.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” Henry rasped, his eyes glowing. “So tight. So wet for me.”

Ivy placed her hands on his chest for leverage, savored the moment of complete connection before she began to move.

She established a rhythm, rising and falling on his length while his hips thrust upward to meet her.

The friction built delicious tension within her, each movement sent sparks of pleasure through her core.

Henry’s hands slid up her sides to cup her breasts, pinched her nipples between calloused fingers in time with their movements. The slight edge of pain mixed with pleasure had her inner walls clenching tighter around him.

“That’s it,” he growled approvingly. “Squeeze my cock with that tight little pussy.”

His words scorched through her body like wildfire. His voice—once all growls and gruff commands—now dripped with raw need that stripped away her every defense. The bear within her responded instantly, heating her blood to boiling.

His unrestrained desire unleashed something equally fierce inside her. She increased her pace, rode him harder, her body beginning to tremble as another climax approached.

Henry sensed it, his hands moved to grip her hips as he took control, thrust upward with increasing force. The new angle hit her g-spot and stars exploded behind her eyelids. Her movements grew erratic, and her thighs trembled with effort.

“Look at me,” Henry commanded. Ivy forced her eyes open to meet his gaze as pleasure built to an unbearable peak. “I want to see your eyes when you come on my cock.”

Something shifted in his expression, his control fractured as his thrusts became harder, deeper. Ivy felt her bear surging toward the surface, her canines lengthening as the animal inside responded to the mate beneath her. The urge to bite, to claim him permanently, overwhelmed her rational mind.

“Henry,” she gasped, her voice rougher as her partial shift progressed. “I want to mark you. I need to claim you. My bear needs it.”

His eyes flared brighter. His canines elongated, pressed against his lower lip as he spoke “I want to sink my teeth into you. Claim you body and soul. Make you mine forever,” he growled, his voice deeper, more animalistic than ever.

The admission sent a fresh wave of heat through her body, made her inner walls clench around his cock. Ivy bent forward, her mouth hovering over the junction of his neck and shoulder, where the claiming bite would seal their bond permanently.

She could feel his pulse pounding beneath her lips, smell the intoxicating scent of his skin mixed with the musk of their shared arousal. Her tongue darted out to taste the salt of his skin, and her teeth grazed the spot where her mark would permanently bind them.

But even through the haze of desire and primal instinct, a moment of clarity pierced her consciousness. This wasn’t just physical release—it was a life-altering decision.

“We should wait,” she whispered against his skin, though it physically hurt to deny the urge. “We need to be in our right minds when we choose it.”

Henry’s hand cupped the back of her head, his fingers tangled in her curls as he pulled her up to meet his eyes. The restraint in his expression must have mirrored her own—desire warring with rational thought.

“You’re right,” he said, his voice strained.

Their mouths met. Henry’s arms wrapped around her, held her tightly against him as he rolled on top of her.

His weight pressed her into the mattress as his thrusts resumed with renewed intensity.

Ivy wrapped her legs around his waist. Her words urging him on as pressure built within her once more.

His hand slipped between them. His thumb found her swollen clit, and he circled it in time with his movements.

“Come for me again,” he murmured against her ear, his voice rough with need. “I want to feel your pussy squeezing me again. Come on, Ivy, milk my cock.”

It pushed her over the edge. She cried out his name as pleasure crashed through her, her core pulsed around his length, her vision went white at the edges. Body arched beneath him as the orgasm tore through her with mind shattering force.

Henry buried himself deep inside her with a guttural groan. His cock pulsed as he filled her with his hot release. She felt each throb as he came, their shared pleasure amplified by the mate bond humming between them.

After he rolled away, they lay tangled together in the damp sheets. “You were right,” he said after a while, his voice soft in the quiet room. “About waiting.”

Ivy propped herself up on one elbow, looking down at his face in the moonlight streaming through the bedroom windows.

“It’s not that I don’t want the bond,” she clarified, needing him to understand.

“I do. But when we take that step, I want it to be a conscious choice we make together. Not just our bears deciding for us in the heat of the moment.”

Henry nodded as he cupped her cheek. “The mate bond is powerful,” he acknowledged. “But what’s growing between us is more than just biology.”

The simple statement filled her with warmth. Ivy laid her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

“It’s strange,” she murmured. “We’ve known each other such a short time, but it feels like I’ve been waiting for you my whole life.”

His arms tightened around her. “I never thought I’d let someone in. Let them see all of my grumpy, isolated parts,” he admitted, the words rumbling beneath her ear. “Always figured I’d live out my days alone in that cabin.”

“And now?” Ivy asked, unable to keep the hopeful note from her voice.

“Now I can’t imagine going back to that solitude,” he said. “It would feel empty without you.”