Free Bear Apparent (BBW Shifter Romance) (Stone Claw Clan Book 1) by Jade Woods Page B

little growl crawled up his throat as he imagined them tumbling across it, pillows flying every which way.
    “What did you want to discuss?” she asked, her expression guarded.
    “It’s not important now,” he muttered, setting his sights on her. Being enclosed with her went right to his cock. He took a step forward, and she didn’t move, her throat shifting hard.
    “Okay, well I have something to talk about then. Because this roller coaster is making me dizzy.”
    “Thank you for welcoming my clan into your home,” he said, needing to convey his gratitude.
    “Your welcome. But… ah…” she shuffled her hair, exposing her neck, and Garrett wanted to bury his face against her throat. “Okay, this is hard, but I’ve dealt with your kind before, so I’m just going to come out, and say it.”
    He barreled on through, taking another step, his eyes holding hers. “From all that you’ve heard of my kind, you will forgive me for wanting to thank you properly.”
    She laughed, but there was very little mirth in her tone. “Yeah, see that’s what I mean. You keep throwing out stuff like that, but then back off at the last minute. I know I’m not the average guy’s idea of beauty, and—”
    A growl suddenly encompassed them, and spread outward to fill the room. Garrett was momentarily shocked to realize he was the source of that sound. Dahlia’s eyes went wide, and she took a step back. Her legs connected with the bed, and she plopped on the mattress. He hated that he had startled her, but he was angry that she thought so little of herself.
    He opened his mouth to correct her assumption when the door started vibrating in its cradle. He barked, “What!”
    A muffled, demure voice drifted to them. “Is everything okay?”
    “It’s fine,” he said, reeling himself in. “Show your gratitude, and clean up the kitchen, and wash the dishes.”
    “Already in the works,” Bruin said.
    Garrett waited for a long moment, and when he was sure the bear was gone, he turned his attention to Dahlia who looked like she didn’t want to be here. Taking a deep breath, Garrett sunk to his knees in front of her.
    “I’m sorry I scared you. I just don’t like to hear you talk like that. And I didn’t mean to lead to believe you aren’t desirable to me. It’s the complete opposite… Dahlia, you are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. We bears like our women healthy. My reluctance has nothing to do with you.” He took her trembling hands in his, and ran his thumb across her knuckles. Smirking, he pegged her with a salacious look. “If you’d let me, I’ll give you a taste of what it’s like to be with a bear.”
    Her eyes flared in the darkness, and her arousal-laced scent slammed into him. The shockwave was so forceful, he was nearly knocked on his ass. But he knew she wasn’t in the right frame of mind, and her body was too tense to enjoy what he wanted to do with her.
    Man up, he told himself. “After watching my father suffer through my mother’s death, I promised myself I wouldn’t go through that. That’s why I’ve been trying to fight this attraction. I tell you again, it has nothing to do with you.”
    Her chest heaved with heavy breath, and her eyes glistened. “I’m sorry. That must have been horrible for you to see. How old were you?”
    He smiled softly, because her sincerity touched him in a place he thought he had locked away. “Seventeen. She was severely injured by a pack of wolf-shifters, and died two days later. Dad died the next year from a broken heart. We mate for life, and he couldn’t handle loosing Mom. I guess he tried to hold on for my sake, but in the end, he’d lost his will to live. The Stone Claw clan fell apart, and they went their separate ways. Except for Bruin. He was my father’s beta, and now he is mine.”
    Her palm against his cheek startled him, and he looked into her beautiful eyes, just wanting to get lost in the vast ocean—that single looked mellowed