Free Bear Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire Book 2) by T. S. Joyce Page A

still far away, but she could smell the rain. Bottle of body wash and plastic cup in hand, she kicked out of her boots. From here, the creek looked like it was only knee-deep. A moment of modesty took her, and she twisted around to make sure Jenner wasn’t there, just in case. But no, he wouldn’t follow her out here. Not as uninterested as he was, so she was safe to undress. The water was cold against her ankles, and she gasped as she made her way to the deepest part. She bathed and washed her hair as fast as she was able, then tossed her toiletries up on the bank and sank down into the waves to rinse off. She got used to the water, little by little, and then the air became colder than the water. She lifted her face to the moon, sitting heavy and low and half hidden by the approaching storm clouds. Around her, the wind brushed the tall grass this way and that, and as she wrung water from her hair, she smiled up at Mother Moon, who was drawing long notes from distant wolves, howling at her beauty as the lightning lit up the distant clouds.
    A limb snapped, and Lena jerked her gaze to the bank behind her.
    Jenner sat on a grassy ledge as though he’d been there the entire time. The limb she’d heard breaking was between his fingers. Of course a wild thing like Jenner Silver wouldn’t have been careless enough to let her hear his approach.
    Chills blasted up her arms, and she clutched them over her chest, shielding her breasts even though she was sitting with her back to him.
    When Jenner lifted that striking gaze to her, even brighter in the moonlight, he looked troubled. “You shouldn’t be out here alone. This is brown bear country.”
    Lena huffed and returned her gaze to the moon. “I’m sure you would hear danger coming from a mile away.”
    “Even so.”
    “I’m not decent, Jenner. If you want to cling to our professional relationship, you should go back to camp.”
    There was a shuffling of fabric, but she’d be damned if she watched after him pathetically as he left.
    When he brushed her shoulder, she stiffened, startled that he was still here at all. He sat in the waves behind her, legs encasing her on either side.
    “What are you doing?” she asked on a shocked breath.
    Jenner brushed her damp hair off her shoulder and kissed her neck. Pulling her back against his erection, he whispered, “This is a mistake.”
    She bristled at that word. “Jenner, I don’t want to be anyone’s mistake.”
    “No, woman. I mean, every part of me wants to be with you, and if we do this, I won’t want you to leave.”
    She sighed a long exhalation and relaxed against him as he nibbled at the edge of her ear. She didn’t want to talk about leaving. Not now. Not here with a man she was falling so breathlessly hard for. She’d never had such an instant connection with anyone in her life.
    Jenner ran his fingertips lightly up her arms, dragging trails of fire with his touch. Moving her wet hair to the other side of her neck, he kissed her on the curve of sensitive skin that arched from her ear to the tip of her shoulder. His lips moved against her so gently she rolled her eyes closed, forsaking the beautiful moon and oncoming storm clouds to give herself completely to this moment. He took his time, kissing, nibbling, sucking, and every once in a while, he would bite her hard enough that her skin would tingle, and then he would be gentle again.
    Jenner was worshipping her body, unrushed and unbidden. The rough man who had lost control earlier and had come close to taking her from behind didn’t exist here. Not tonight.
    Gentle kisses, nibble, teeth. His hand cupped the other side of her neck as he grazed his teeth harder against her skin. His erection was thick and hard against her back, and he rolled his hips gently with the next nibble. “Lena,” he whispered. “You should tell me not to bite you.”
    Confused, she frowned up at the moon and angled her head to give him better access to her skin as he sucked.