A Burn To Bear (Fire Bear Shifters Book 3) (4 page)

River stared at the bookshelf, taking in its lovely finish and smooth edges.

“Luke, this is beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it. Where did you learn to build things like this?”

Luke shrugged. “I had a lot of angst in my younger years, and I needed some sort of physical outlet for it. I started woodworking as a hobby to distract me from deeper thoughts, and I eventually got really good at it. But I joined the army several years back, and hadn’t built anything since then. I guess trying to impress a pretty girl was as good a reason as any to get back into it.”

It was River’s turn to blush. “This is amazing, Luke. I can’t believe you put all this effort into something for me. Especially after I tried so hard to get rid of you.”

Luke beamed at River’s praise. “Wait until you see the whole thing standing up. I think the river scene I carved at the top turned out really awesome. I don’t want to pull it out here in the rain though.”

River looked up at the dark sky. The rain didn’t show any signs of stopping.

“I’m here by myself, because the other book club members didn’t want to come out in the storm. Which means I can leave anytime I want,” River said. “We could take it back to my place right now.” The statement sounded way more sexual than River had intended it to sound, but she didn’t care. The idea of Luke coming over made her heart flutter. She grinned when he nodded.

“Okay,” Luke said. “Do you want me to just follow you?”

“That works. Let me go lock up the building really quickly and then we can go.”

River ran back into the library, and grabbed the box of key lime pie. She left the other pie boxes sitting on the meeting room table. She’d have to figure out what to do with them tomorrow. Right now, she had a sexy, hot firefighter waiting for her outside.

River bounded back to her Jeep, and placed the pie on the passenger seat. Her wet clothes were going to soak through the fabric of the driver’s seat, but the Jeep was old and it wasn’t the first time it had been subjected to harsh treatment. It would dry out.

Luke had already climbed back into the SUV. His face was blurred and distorted by the rain running down the windows of both of their vehicles, but River could still see the smile he flashed at her when she gave him a quick thumbs up. Her stomach filled with butterflies, and her automatic reaction was to tell herself not to think of him in a sexual way because it was too soon. But she caught herself, and gave herself a pep talk out loud as she put the Jeep in drive.

“Enough with the stupid rules, River,” she told herself. “Just have fun, and give Luke a chance. If he wants to kiss you, then let him give you a damn kiss.”

River’s cheeks turned warm at the thought of Luke’s lips on her lips. She couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud, but she knew that she wanted more than just his lips. She wanted his arms around her, his skin against her skin, and his body in her body. She had always denied herself any kind of physical relationship with a guy until after several dates, but she had never felt so strongly attracted to anyone before. Some kind of primal force drew her to Luke. She wanted him, and she could tell that he wanted her, too.

She hadn’t given up on her desire for a relationship and romance. She still wanted more than just a quick fling. But her rollercoaster of emotions since she’d met Luke had made her realize that all of her dating rules didn’t account for the possibility of love at first sight. And River was quickly realizing that she had loved Luke since the moment she met him. She should have listened to her initial gut reaction about Luke. It sounded crazy, but she knew somewhere deep down that they were meant to be together. From the way he acted around her, she was willing to bet that Luke felt the same way.

And she had a feeling that she was about to find out exactly how he felt.

The rain kept coming as River pulled into her apartment complex. She parked in a spot with an open spot right next to her, so that Luke could pull in beside her. She hopped out of her vehicle, not caring that she was getting a fresh dose of rainwater as she did. She was already soaked through, so what difference did it make? Luke got out of his vehicle as well, squinting his eyes against the downpour.

“I think we should still wait to move the bookshelf,” he said. “The rain is still coming down so fast that it will get soaked even on the short walk to the building.”

River nodded. “I agree. Do you want to come up and hang out for a bit, and see if it stops? I have pie,” she teased.

“One of Riley’s pies?” Luke asked. River nodded, and Luke grinned. “Well, I would be an idiot to pass up a Sweet Crust pie, now wouldn’t I? Lead the way.”

River grinned back at Luke. She knew they both had a sneaking suspicion that pie was not going to be the highlight of the evening. River quickly opened the passenger door to grab the pie from inside the Jeep. Then she took off at a brisk walk toward her apartment building, with Luke close behind her. They raced up the stairs to her third floor apartment, drenched but laughing. River fumbled with her keys for a moment, and finally got the door open. She stepped inside, thankful that entryway had vinyl tile instead of carpet. Water was running down both of their bodies like little streams.

In the year and a half that River had lived in this particular apartment, she had never had a man over. She felt suddenly self-conscious about the small, plain look of her place. The apartment was a tiny one bedroom of about five hundred square feet. She had a small couch and a folding table for a dining room table. Her television sat on the floor because she had never bothered to buy a TV stand. She always kept the place neat and clean, but she hadn’t decorated that much. Stacks of books were piled in neat rows against the walls. River blushed, realizing that Luke’s gift of a bookshelf had been more appropriate than he realized.

“Sorry, it’s small and I don’t have much furniture. But it’s home for me,” River said.

Luke smiled at her. “Nothing wrong with small. You’re just one person living here. No sense in wasting space. I like it. The books everywhere are very appropriate. Although it looks like I might have to build you a second bookshelf. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one person own so many books.”

“Yeah, it’s an obsession. I’m trying to cut back on buying new ones. I don’t have any room for more books, and I can usually find whatever I want to read at the library, anyway.”

They stood in the entryway, dripping little puddles onto the floor and looking at each other for several moments. River should have said something…Maybe offer Luke a towel, or try to find him an oversized t-shirt that might fit—although she doubted that even her baggiest t-shirt could stretch over those muscles. But all she did was stare at him with an awkward, lovestruck look. In all fairness to her, he looked back at her with the same expression. His eyes seemed to be almost swirling, and the intense look he always gave her grew fiercer than ever.

“River,” he said softly. There was no need to say anything else. That one word, her name on his tongue, said everything she needed to know. It held a statement and a question all at once. He wanted her, and he was asking if she wanted him, too. She took a deep breath, and then gave him a coy smile.

“We’re both soaking wet,” she said. “We should get out of these clothes.”

She kicked off her shoes, and then reached down to grab the hem of her sweater, pulling it over her head and letting it drop with a splat onto the tile. She reached down to grab the hem of her leggings, pulling them down to her ankles and stepping out of them. She stood in front of Luke in her matching, lacy turquoise bra and underwear. Thank god she always wore nice underwear. She had decided long ago that she deserved pretty bras and panties for herself, even if a man wasn’t going to see them. Now that a man was seeing them, she was thankful she hadn’t succumbed to wearing grungy old underwear. River vaguely realized that the temperature had dropped and she hadn’t turned on the heat in her apartment, but she didn’t feel cold. Her beating heart was sending burning hot blood coursing through her body, warming her at the anticipation of Luke’s touch.

Luke watched with blazing eyes. He stood unmoving, as if uncertain about what to do next. River almost giggled. Surely, a man with looks like his had plenty of experience in the bedroom. Why did he look so nervous? She stepped forward to help him, reaching up to unbutton his shirt. She stood inches away from him, keeping her eyes locked with his as her hands slowly felt for each button. When the last one was undone, she pushed his shirt back and down across his arms, the wet fabric making a dull splat as it hit the tile.

River’s eyes widened as she took in Luke’s bare chest. She had known from the way that his muscles always protested against the fabric of his shirts that he was in good shape. But his naked abs were even more chiseled than she had imagined. The man didn’t just have a six pack. He had a freaking eight pack. She took her finger and traced the grooves of his stomach, running across each line of muscle. Luke shuddered and moaned at her touch, leaning his head back slightly and closing his eyes. River let her fingers drift down to the top of his jeans, where she unbuttoned the top button and slowly slid the zipper down.

Luke moaned, and then reached down to grab her hands.

“River, wait,” he said, his voice sounding desperate. “I want this so badly. I want you so badly. But I don’t want you to think I only came here to try to mate—I mean, to try to have sex with you. I’m not just in this for a quick bang. I’m looking for something deeper. Don’t think if we sleep together right now that I’m going to just disappear. Please, don’t think that.”

River paused, and looked into Luke’s churning eyes. She felt a wave of regret wash over her at the way she had assumed Luke was only interested in her for sex.

“I know,” she said. “I’m sorry I ever assumed otherwise.” She didn’t know what else to say, so she kept looking at Luke, waiting for him to make the next move. He looked deep into her eyes, as if trying to see whether she was really okay with where the evening was heading. He must have been satisfied with what he saw, because in the next instant, he was pushing River up against her front door and covering her mouth with his. The intensity of his kiss took her breath away. What a sight they must have been—Her, with her turquoise bra and panties, black glasses, and hair that could only be described as a hot mess. And him, with his soaking wet jeans and bare torso, the hair on his head spiking out in every direction as he pushed his body up against hers.

River felt the room spinning as Luke’s tongue dove deep into her mouth. Whatever earlier nervousness he had displayed had disappeared now. He moved his hands across her body with skill and confidence. He slid his palms down to cover her ass cheeks and he gave her a gentle squeeze as he pressed her pelvis against his.

River’s eyes flew open at what she felt. Even through his jeans, she could tell that he had a huge, rock-solid erection. She moved her hands back to the hem of his jeans, and started pushing down on the thick, wet material. Luke’s mouth never left hers as he continued to let his tongue dance with hers. River trembled with excitement as Luke stepped out of his jeans and she saw the outline of his dick pressing against the tight fabric of his black briefs.

Holy hell, this man looked like a god. His thighs were as sculpted and muscular as the rest of him, and River let her hand trace the outline of Luke’s upper leg as he flexed against her touch. She slid her hand back up to the hem of his underwear and pulled it down and off, then gawked at the size of his penis.

“Wow,” she whispered, using her index finger to draw an imaginary line along the underside of Luke’s strong, erect penis. He shivered at her touch, and closed his eyes with a moan. Soft, downy hair covered his skin just above where his dick stood erect, waiting for its chance to go deep inside of River.

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Luke whispered. “I’m completely naked, and you still have all your underwear on.”

“What are you going to do about it?” River asked in a low, teasing voice.

Luke let out a low growl, and then reached behind River to unclasp her bra. He slowly pulled the lacy garment down off of Rivers chest and arms, leaving her heaving breasts fully exposed in front of him. Her nipples stood erect, and he lifted his hands and grazed his thumbs back and forth against the hard, sensitive skin. River could feel moisture growing between her legs, and it definitely wasn’t rainwater. Luke was driving her crazy, sending hot, passionate tremors through her body with every touch. Her body was responding with eager anticipation.

After several delightful moments of teasing her nipples, Luke’s hands traveled down to her panties, and he pulled them down and off of her long legs. It had been a few days since River had shaved, but if Luke noticed that her legs were a little prickly, he didn’t let on that he did at all. He cupped his hand around her sex, letting out another guttural growl as he her juices dripping out of her body.

“You’re so wet for me,” he said, panting heavily. “I like it.” And then he took advantage of her well-lubricated entrance, slipping his middle finger inside of her. River gasped out and threw her head back as his finger hit her in exactly the right spot. Luke might have started out a little shy, but his confidence had completely caught up at this point. He knew exactly what he was doing, and what he was doing was driving River crazy.

As he moved his finger inside of her in tantalizing little circles, he slid his tongue back into her mouth and resumed his deep earnest kiss. River could feel the pressure building between her legs, and she tried to hold back the waves that were threatening to crash through her. It only took about thirty seconds for her to lose that fight, though. The orgasm hit her hard and fast, and her inner muscles violently clenched around Luke’s finger, as if they were trying to show him the depth of the pleasure he had generated within her. River leaned back against the front door, arching her body against Luke’s hand and screaming out. Her neighbors could probably hear her loud, ecstatic moans, but she didn’t care. All she could think about was how warm she felt. Luke’s presence and touch fired her up like nothing ever had before.

The orgasm slowly subsided, and River slid her arms around Luke, panting as she rested her naked body against his. She could feel his erection, still strong and solid, pushing against her stomach. She looked up at him, a little embarrassed that she had come so quickly.

“That was incredible,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“It was just the beginning,” Luke said, and he grabbed her hand to pull her toward the bedroom. River whimpered in anticipation and let herself be dragged into the small room. Neither one of them bothered to hit the light switch, but some light drifted in from the living room and illuminated the bedroom with a soft, romantic glow. Books were piled on River’s bed, and she pushed them away and onto the floor as she and Luke fell across the bed. The sound of the rain outside intensified again, but River hardly noticed. All she could think about at the moment was Luke’s sculpted body hovering over hers. Flat on her back, she looked up at him as he gazed adoringly down at her. His hands were each on either side of her shoulder, and his legs held his dick up just above her.

“Are you ready for me?” he asked, his voice hungry. River nodded, and Luke slowly, gently lowered himself into her. He slid up and down in a soft rhythm, and River closed her eyes again, concentrating on the feeling of his warm, hard penis as it filled her completely. He gradually picked up speed, and the heat and pressure started to become unbearable again. She heard him moaning as his thrusts became more urgent, and the bed started rocking as his force increased. The springs squeaked and the headboard banged against the wall repeatedly, and it occurred to River that her apartment had never sounded quite so wonderful.

This time, she didn’t even try to hold back as she felt the pressure growing to a breaking point. She let the rush of tingling heat sweep over her, crying out as her muscles quivered over and over in response to Luke’s thrusting. As soon as Luke heard River finding her release, he found his. He stiffened, and let out a fearsome roar as his body shot a warm, hot stream into River. River opened her eyes to watch him as his muscles clenched and then relaxed, spent from the effort of making love to her.

After a few moments of panting recovery, he gently eased himself out of River and settled onto the bed next to her. He reached for her hand and laced his fingers with hers. They both lay there for a long time, listening to the rain beating against the windows.

River had never before felt quite like she did right now. The spasms of her orgasm had faded off, but the warm glow remained. She wasn’t sure quite how to explain it, but she felt connected to Luke on some deeper level. The feeling wasn’t just physical or emotional, it was almost spiritual. She was just about to comment on it to Luke when he sat up abruptly and interrupted her thoughts.

“Hey, I think someone promised me pie if I came over,” he said, crossing his arms in mock anger.

River grinned and sat up as well. Her hair had finally come completely loose from the bun it had been in, and tangled waves of dark brown hair hung around River’s shoulders.

“You’re right,” she said. “A promise is a promise. Let’s go get you some pie.”

She got up and sauntered out to the kitchen, purposely swaying her naked ass in Luke’s face. He gave it a little slap as she walked by, and she let out a little yelp.