Page 18 of The Bear’s Second Chance Mate (Bear Creek Forever: Thornberg Vineyard #5)

The scent of June still lingered on his sheets as Stanley woke the next morning.

She’d slipped away long before dawn, leaving nothing but the indent of her head on the pillow and the ghost of her kiss on his lips.

He understood. Oli would be waking soon, and June needed to be there—his mate was a mother first. That thought only deepened his love for her.

Stanley rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. How he wished she were still here in his arms. What he wouldn’t give to wake up beside her and make love to her before the day started.

His bear rumbled contentedly inside him. Soon, he murmured. She is ours now, and she knows it.

“Ours,” Stanley whispered to the empty room, testing the word on his tongue. It felt right. Perfect.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and padded to the window, drawing in a deep breath of mountain air.

The world outside seemed sharper somehow, more vivid, the green of the pines more intense, the blue of the sky deeper.

As if the universe had tilted just slightly and finally locked into its proper alignment.

But although so much had changed, one thing remained the same.

He had animals to feed, and his morning chores called to him.

Stanley pulled on jeans and a worn flannel shirt before heading downstairs to be greeted with a, “Morning, Stanley,” from Percy the parrot, and excessive tail wagging from his three happy dogs.

As for the cats, Miam, a half-Siamese, curled around his legs, while telling Stanley in no uncertain terms that coffee would have to wait because he needed his breakfast, while Uma, a fluffy tabby cat, sat on the windowsill licking her paws in her usual nonplussed way.

After feeding his indoor pets, Stanley went outside with the dogs close at his heels. The goats spotted him immediately, trotting over with expectant bleats. They nudged at his pockets, searching for treats as they did every morning.

“Yeah, yeah, I know what you want,” he chuckled, scratching behind Daisy’s ears as she pushed her head against his palm.

The hens clucked softly as he scattered feed across their run. Every interaction felt charged with new meaning, as if the animals sensed the change in him. Stanley moved through his routine with a lightness he hadn’t felt in years—maybe ever.

Two hours later, freshly showered and humming under his breath, he unlocked the door to Bear Creek Pets.

The familiar scents of cedar shavings, pet food, and the animals themselves greeted him.

He flipped on the lights and moved through the store, his footsteps echoing in the quiet morning. Did they also sound lighter?

They do. Because everything is different now, his bear observed.

Stanley couldn’t argue with that. He swept the floors with careful attention, topped up water bowls, and checked on each animal with the reverence of a man performing sacred rites.

After finishing his rounds of feeding and cleaning, Stanley headed to the small kitchen in the back. He made a fresh pot of coffee and then cracked open the tin of triple chocolate cookies that he’d made for Oli and June’s visit on Tuesday.

As he waited for his coffee, he bit into the cookie, recalling the afternoon’s visit and wishing they were both here.

We’ll see them later, his bear reminded him.

We will. Stanley did not usually want to wish the days away, but today he did. He wished the hours would fly by so he could go and check on Herbert and see his mate and her son.

But he also knew wishes did not work that way.

So he kept himself busy, and the morning passed in a blur of customers and routine tasks, but beneath it all ran a current of longing. How he wished June would pop in for some rabbit food, or some fresh hay for Herbert.

What he would not give to see her.

The lunchtime lull came around, and he headed out to make another pot of coffee and to grab a bite.

But then the bell chimed again, and this time, before he even turned around, Stanley knew his wish had come true.

His skin prickled with awareness, his bear suddenly alert and vibrating with joy. He turned slowly, savoring the moment.

June stood in the doorway, hair still damp from the shower, cheeks flushed from the morning air. She wore a simple green sweater that brought out the gold flecks in her eyes, and her smile, tentative but hopeful, made his heart stutter in his chest.

“Hey,” she said, as she hesitated by the door.

“Hey yourself,” Stanley replied, unable to keep the grin from his face as he crossed the store toward her.

June glanced around the store, her eyes landing on the rabbit enclosure. “How is Clive?”

“Clive is doing just fine.” Stanley chuckled, stepping closer than strictly necessary. “Is that why you are here?”

“It might be. Although I heard the guy who owns the store is kind of cute.” June’s laugh sent warmth cascading through him.

She moved past him toward the counter, her arm brushing his as she went.

The brief contact sparked like electricity between them.

Stanley followed, breathing in the scent of her, so intoxicating it made his bear rumble with pleasure.

“Is that right?” he asked as he followed her.

“Yes,” she said, leaning against the counter. “Is that coffee I smell?”

“It is,” he replied. “Want one?”

“Yes, please. For some reason, I did not get much sleep last night.” Did she have any idea what she was doing to him?

Stanley poured the coffee, stepping closer as he handed it to her. Their fingers brushed, lingered. “Maybe you had something on your mind.”

“Or maybe it was a dream,” June replied, her eyes meeting his over the rim of her mug. “How about you?”

Heat flared between them at the memory of their lovemaking. Stanley’s gaze dropped to her lips, remembering how they’d felt against his own, how she’d tasted, how she’d sighed his name in the darkness of his cabin.

June set her coffee down slowly, her eyes never leaving his. The playful banter faded, replaced by something heavier, more urgent. Stanley could hear her breathing quicken, could see the pulse fluttering at the base of her throat.

One breath. Another. Neither of them stepped back.

His bear growled low. Now. Take her now.

Stanley moved first, or maybe June did. He couldn’t tell and didn’t care.

They crashed together like waves meeting shore, inevitable and powerful.

His mouth found hers with unerring precision, drinking in her soft gasp of pleasure.

Her hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer as his arms wrapped around her waist.

“Storeroom,” he managed between kisses, already guiding her backward. “Now.”

They stumbled through the door, Stanley kicking it shut behind them. June’s back hit the shelving unit, sending a box of pet treats tumbling to the floor. Neither of them noticed. Her hands were in his hair, her body arching against his as his mouth traced a hungry path down her neck.

“I’ve been thinking about this all morning,” June breathed, her head falling back to give him better access. “About you.”

Stanley groaned against her skin, his hands sliding under her sweater to find warm, soft flesh. “Me, too. Couldn’t focus on anything else.”

Her hands found the button of his jeans, her fingers working it open before stroking him, his already hard length. The pressure made him see stars, his hips bucking instinctively against her palm.

“June,” he gasped, the sound half-warning, half-plea.

In answer, she captured his mouth again, her tongue sliding against his in a rhythm that mimicked what they both wanted.

Stanley’s hands moved higher, grazing the underside of her breasts, feeling her shiver against him.

He thumbed her nipple through the thin fabric of her bra, swallowing her moan with his kiss.

His other hand slid down, working open the button of her jeans.

June shifted, helping him as he slipped his fingers beneath the denim, beneath the silk of her underwear, finding her hot and wet and ready.

The evidence of her desire nearly undid him.

His bear roared with primitive satisfaction as June whimpered, her hips rolling against his touch.

“Please,” she whispered against his mouth. “Don’t stop.”

Stanley had no intention of stopping. His fingers moved in slow, deliberate circles, building her pleasure as his teeth grazed the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. June’s breathing grew ragged, her movements more urgent against his hand.

When she came, it was with a quiet cry that she muffled against his shoulder, her body shuddering in his arms. The sight of her—eyes closed, lips parted, completely abandoned to pleasure—pushed Stanley over the edge.

His own release caught him by surprise, intense and overwhelming even through the barrier of his jeans.

They stood together afterward, breathless and stunned, foreheads touching as they came back to themselves. June’s soft laugh vibrated against his chest, where she was pressed against him.

“That was...” she began.

The bell over the shop door jingled loudly, cutting through their private moment. Their eyes met, startled, before they both burst into quiet, delighted laughter.

“Impeccable timing,” Stanley whispered, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before stepping back.

They scrambled to make themselves decent, straightening clothes and smoothing hair with hurried movements. June’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright with lingering pleasure and mischief.

“You go,” she whispered, nodding toward the door. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Stanley stole one more kiss before slipping out of the storeroom, closing the door quietly behind him. His heart was still racing, his body humming with satisfaction, and he couldn’t have wiped the smile from his face if he’d tried as he headed for the restroom.

His bear purred contentedly. Ours, he said simply. Forever ours.

For once, Stanley didn’t argue. As he went to greet his customer, the taste of June still sweet on his lips.