Free Rough (The Bear Chronicles of Willow Creek Book 1) by Emily Minton, Julia Keith

a small whimper as a tear slides down her cheek.  Leaning my head down, I lick it off of her.  “Always mine.  You will always be mine Amelia.
    My entire life, I always wondered if there really was such a thing as heaven, and if there was would I be welcome there.  Turns out there is such a thing I am more than welcome there.  My heaven just happens to be inside my wife’s body.
     

CHAPTER TWELVE
    Amelia
     
    ETHAN LEADS me back into the house, but I stop him just before we walk inside.  “You don’t have any clothes on.”
    His eyes come to mine and I swear I can see laughter in them.  “No, darlin’. I don’t.”
    Placing my hands on my hips, I step in front to the door. “Are there women in there?”
    “Yes, there are.” He answers with a nod of his head, the confusion evident on his face.
    For some reason, anger as I’ve never felt before fills me.  “You will not go in there, until you put some clothes on.”
    Stepping back, he shakes his head.  “That’s gonna be a problem, considering all my clothes are inside the house.”
    “There are women in there. You’re mine, and no other woman will see you like this.” Considering I just met the man, my claim is weak.  Still, he is my husband and I’ll be damned if some other woman is going to see him in all his naked glory. 
    A slow smile spreads across his face, before he nods.  “I kinda like you claiming me, darlin’.”
    “You are my husband, it’s not about that.” I reply, feeling my anger starting to fade. 
    He takes a step toward me and lowers his lips to mine.  “I’m also your mate, it’s natural for you to feel the need to claim me.”
    Before I can ask him what exactly being a mate means, and what on earth all of this claiming nonsense is, he steps around me and cracks the door open.  “Eli, bring me some damn pants will ya?”
    Pulling in a deep breath, I let it out slowly.  “Thank you for being so understanding.”
    He raises a hand to my face, tracing my lips with his thumb.  “I like the fact you are possessive of me.  It shows that our bond is already forming.  Besides you never have to thank me for something like this.  The minute you became my mate, my wife, and my lover, it became my life's mission to make you happy.  I never want to be the one causing you discomfort or pain, so I should be thanking you for giving me the chance to take care of something that would have been upsetting to you.”
    “What do you mean?  I don’t even understand what a mate is, not to mention a bond and all the other stuff you just said.”
    “I’ll explain, as soon as I get everyone out of here,” he says, leaning down to give me another kiss.  “I’ll explain everything, promise.”
    Nodding my head, I continue to just stare deep into his gorgeous eyes.  As the light sparkles off of them, I notice a gorgeous sunflower pattern in a pale amber shade circling his irises.  Looking into them, it is clear to me now how present his bear is in his eyes.  Instead of finding this strange, I just find that I feel at peace knowing his animal is so close.   If I’m to be completely honest with myself, this is the first time since my parents died, I have truly felt safe.  Gazing into his eyes, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that Ethan the man, and Ethan the bear would go to any length to protect me.
    The power behind his gaze causes my body to begin to heat up in a mixture of lust and something akin to love.  Again, the fact that I could possibly love someone that I just met should be enough to have me running off screaming like a lunatic.  Instead, I just feel at peace with the idea and for once in my life I don’t want to question things.  Whatever this is feels more right than anything I’ve ever had, and I’ll be damned if my insecurities are going to screw this up.
    Before I can dig any deeper into my thoughts and emotions, the door flies open and an angry man thrusts a pair of jeans into Ethan’s chest.