Philip was impossibly hard as Elsbeth obediently followed his command, slowly rolling over onto her stomach before gradually lifting herself onto her hands and knees.
His breath caught at the sight of her. So vulnerable, so trusting, so beautiful. The curve of her spine, the soft swell of her hips, the way her still-damp hair cascaded over one shoulder, leaving the nape of her neck exposed. It called to something primal within him.
He swallowed hard, his fingers twitching with the desire to trace the curve of her spine from the nape of her neck to…
“You’re staring,” she murmured, turning her head to look at him.
“Can you blame me?” He bent forward, pressing a line of kisses down her spine while he caressed the curve of her hip before stroking her bottom, inching his hand lower.
She gasped as he slid one finger inside her, then two, stroking her inner walls. When he curled his fingers just so, Elsbeth dropped her head with a gasp, pushing back against his hand to take him deeper. The sight of her seeking her pleasure so openly made his hardness throb with need.
“Philip,” she whimpered, her voice breaking. “Please...”
He couldn’t deny her—or himself—any longer. Positioning himself behind her, he guided himself to her entrance, teasing her with gentle pressure without pushing inside.
“Please, what?” he asked, needing to hear the words.
“Claim me,” she breathed, looking back over her shoulder with eyes dark with desire.
With exquisite control, Philip eased forward, penetrating her inch by torturous inch. The sensation was overwhelming. The way her inner walls gripped him so tightly, he had to grit his teeth against the urge to thrust deep and hard.
Instead, he moved with deliberate slowness, savoring every sensation, every small sound she made.
When he was finally buried to the hilt, he stilled completely, his hands gripping her hips as he fought for control. He’d waited a lifetime for this moment, and he wanted to savor it, commit it to memory…
He sucked in a breath as she tensed her inner muscles around him, and he fought once again for control as she moved her hips in a circular motion.
Then he began to move. With firm hands, he gripped her hips and withdrew completely, drawing a desperate whimper from her as she tried to follow his movement. Holding her still, he watched her tremble with need before sliding back into her fully, this time with more force than before.
Her gasp of pleasure vibrated through his entire being, but he withdrew almost completely once more, leaving just the head of his length inside her.
Elsbeth’s breathing became ragged, her body trembling with anticipation as he hovered there. Then, unable to deny either of them any longer, Philip thrust into her harder, his hips flexing as he began to build a steady rhythm. Each stroke went deeper than the last, his pace gradually increasing as primal instinct took over.
He slid his hand from her hip, reaching beneath her to find the sensitive bundle of nerves between her thighs. As his fingers found their target, stroking in time with his thrusts, Elsbeth made a sound that was half-moan, half-whimper. Her arms trembled beneath her, and he watched in awe as her breasts swayed with each powerful thrust, the sight driving him to the edge of his control.
Philip could feel his release building, the tension coiling tight in his belly. The sensation of her tight inner walls gripping him was almost too much to bear, but he clenched his jaw against the mounting pressure. He wanted—needed—to feel her come around him first.
With expert precision, he pinched her sensitive bud gently between his fingers, applying just the right pressure as he continued to drive into her. The effect was immediate—her inner muscles clenched around him in rhythmic pulses, squeezing him with such exquisite pressure that his control finally shattered.
Philip let go with a guttural groan, his essence filling her in hot spurts as she cried out beneath him. The primal side of him surged to the surface as he jerked his hips forward hard, once, twice, three times, each thrust punctuating the waves of pleasure crashing through him as she continued to come around him.
Time seemed to suspend as they remained locked together, bodies trembling in the aftermath of shared ecstasy. Slowly, carefully, Philip leaned forward, pressing his chest against her back as they both struggled to catch their breath. He wrapped one arm around her waist, supporting her weight as her arms finally gave out.
With careful movements, he eased them both onto their sides, still joined intimately as he cradled her against his chest. His bear rumbled with satisfaction inside him, a deep contentment settling over them both as he nuzzled his face into the curve of her neck, breathing in her scent.
The bond between them felt stronger than ever, sealed with their physical union in a way that transcended anything he’d ever experienced. He could feel her heartbeat, her breath, her very essence in a way that went beyond the physical.
“Elsbeth,” he murmured against her skin, his voice rough with emotion. “My mate.”
She sighed contentedly, her fingers entwining with his, where they rested against her stomach. “I never knew it could be like this,” she whispered.
“Like what?” he asked, pressing a gentle kiss to her shoulder.
“So…complete.” She turned her head to look at him, her expression so tender it made his heart ache. “Does it feel this way for all shifters when they find their mates?”
“I don’t know,” Philip admitted. “I only know how it feels for me. For us.” He brushed his finger lightly across her cheek, and she shivered. “My parents have been together for decades, and they still look at each other the way they did last night at dinner.”
“With that silent conversation passing between them,” Elsbeth murmured. “I saw it.”
Philip nodded. “The bond deepens with every shared experience.”
“Like planting roses,” she said softly.
“Like planting roses,” he agreed, his voice rough with emotion. “Like building irrigation systems and making love in the afternoon sun.”
She blushed, the pink flush spreading delightfully across her cheeks and down her neck to her chest. Philip couldn’t resist leaning forward to press his lips to the hollow of her throat, feeling her pulse flutter beneath his touch.
“I have so many questions,” Elsbeth said, her fingers combing through his hair as he continued to explore her neck with gentle kisses.
“Ask me anything,” he murmured against her skin, reluctant to stop tasting her but willing to give her the answers she needed.
“Your bear...is he always with you? Even now?”
Philip lifted his head, meeting her curious gaze. “Yes. He’s part of me, not separate. More like another facet of who I am. We share thoughts, feelings.” He traced the curve of her shoulder with his fingertips. “Right now, he’s incredibly content.”
“What does he think of me?” she asked, a touch of vulnerability in her voice.
Philip smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “He adores you. Though he’s been impatient with me for not telling you sooner about what we are.”
Her fingers traced patterns on his chest. “Are there others in Bear Creek? Other shifters?”
“Many,” Philip nodded. “The town was founded by shifter families. Though there are plenty of humans, too.”
“Like me,” she murmured.
“Yes,” he agreed, lifting her hand to his lips. “Like you. The perfect mate for a bear shifter who’s been waiting his whole life to find you.”
Her cheeks flushed again. “Is that why your family was so welcoming? Because they knew I was your mate?”
“They would like you whether you were my mate or not,” Philip assured her. “And they were thrilled another of their sons has found his mate.”
“Another? So, Kris and Cassia...” She shook her head. “Of course, the way they look at each other…”
“Yes, they’re mates, too. And hopefully the others will find theirs, too, someday soon.”
They should all feel what we feel, his bear said.
Elsbeth snuggled closer, her body fitting perfectly against his. “So, you just have to wait for it to happen?”
“Yes.” He pressed his lips to her shoulder. “You could spend a lifetime searching for your mate and then find them right where you started.”
“Because of fate.” She shook her head. “Isn’t that kind of sad?”
“The reward is worth the wait,” Philip said.
Oh, yeah, his bear agreed.
“Like waiting for a rare flower to bloom.” She nestled closer to him.
“Exactly,” Philip murmured against her hair.
Elsbeth traced her fingers along his chest, following the contours of his muscles. “All this time, I thought I was alone, starting over in a strange place. But I wasn’t.”
“You were never alone,” Philip said, his voice deepening with emotion.
She lifted her head to look at him. “When did you know? The exact moment you knew I was your mate?”
Philip’s expression grew wistful. “When I was driving over here that first day we met. It was the strangest sensation. And at first, I didn’t know what it was. But then, when I saw you, it all made sense.”
“Is that why you looked so...stunned?” A smile played at the corners of her mouth.
“It didn’t help that you seemed to be expecting me,” he said in his defense. “That was kind of confusing.”
“Have you thanked Finn for sending that text?” Elsbeth asked.
“Nowhere near enough times,” he said as he cupped her face in his hand and kissed her lips.
She shivered against him, her body responding instantly to his touch. “So, what happens now?” she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.
“Now?” Philip rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. Her hair fell around them like a curtain as she braced her hands on his chest. “Now we build a life together. Your dream of Rose Farm. My work at the vineyard. Our future.”
“Our future,” she repeated, testing the words on her tongue. “I like the sound of that.”
Her eyes grew serious as she traced the line of his jaw with her fingertip. “I wish my mom could have met you. She would have loved you.” Her voice caught slightly. “She always said I’d know when I found the right person.”
“She is part of the reason we met,” Philip said.
Elsbeth nodded, her eyes misted with tears. “You’re right. She told me to follow my dreams, and that led me here. To you.”
“Is it too soon to tell you that I love you?” Philip asked gruffly.
“No,” she answered. “And I love you, too. Both sides of you.”
And that was all Philip had ever longed to hear.