Free Hunter Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Enforcer Bears Book 2) by Zoe Chant Page B

found its lair by accident."
    Cleo shivered again, then propped herself up on her arms. She couldn't see Steven's face in the darkness, but when she reached out, her fingers encountered his chin. There was a hint of stubble on it, and she allowed her hand to curve around his cheek.
    "There's so much water down here. An entire lake," she murmured. "And if that jaguar kept vanishing near water..."
    "There might be more than one entrance to the cave." Steven's voice was husky.
    Cleo brushed the pad of her thumb against the corner of his mouth, then leaned down to kiss him.
    For one moment, she allowed herself to forget the true horror of their situation as his arms came up around her. His body was hot against hers, his muscles hard. He kissed her gently but insistently, his tongue hot against her own as she shivered again, but not from the cold.
    She felt safe and warm in his embrace.
    And they might be lost, but they weren't alone. She still had Steven. She had Steven, and they were both unharmed except for some bruises...
    Suddenly she remembered the way the jaguar had pounced, and Steven's agonized cry.
    "Are you OK? Did the jaguar hurt you?" She drew back a little, one hand still on Steven's arm as he slowly sat up.
    His pained groan was answer enough, and her fingers tightened in worry.
    "I'm fine," he said. "Really. His claws got my leg, but it's just scratches. I promise I’ll be fine."
    Cleo felt her heart racing in her chest. The darkness felt suffocating. Steven could be bleeding right now, and she wouldn't even know...
    "Wait!" she suddenly breathed, eyes going wide.
    Her hip ached. It felt bruised—but it wasn't just the hardness of the stone against which she'd rested.
    There, in her pocket, the metal of her keys had been jabbing into her hip. And on her small keychain...
    She fumbled with her pockets. The fabric was wet and clung to her skin, but after a moment, her fingers closed around the cold metal. She pulled out her keys. Her fingers trembled as she felt along the small ring that connected them.
    There!
    A small, round piece of plastic, with a little button at the top.
    Please work. Please...
    She pressed the button. Suddenly, there was light.
    She nearly sobbed with relief when finally, she could make out Steven's face in the gloom.
    "I keep a small light with my keys, just in case..." she said, then trailed off. She bit back another sob and rubbed at her eyes, then felt sudden laughter come up instead.
    "This isn't quite what I thought I’d need it for, but... I'm glad." Again she brushed her hands over her eyes, then took a deep breath and straightened.
    Everything had happened so quickly. She still hadn't quite overcome the shock. But there was light now, and that was what mattered.
    Steven gently squeezed her leg. "How long do the batteries last?"
    "No idea," she admitted. "It's an LED light, aren't those supposed to last forever? I've only used it once or twice to find the keyhole when I came home in the dark..."
    "Maybe it'll last long enough that we can find a way out." Steven eyed the tiny device with a frown, then clenched his teeth and stood.
    When he gasped, Cleo moved the light so she could get a better look at his leg. The jaguar's claws had left marks; three long slashes stood out against his calf. The water had washed away most of the blood, but as she watched, blood was still trickling sluggishly from two of the wounds.
    "Just scratches," Steven said gently and took hold of her hand to help her sit up. "I've got all my shots, I promise. Comes with the job. And I heal really fast."
    "Really," Cleo said and gave him a frown, but then relented. "I suppose we can't worry about it until we find a way out. But I'll drag you straight to a doctor afterward!"
    "If we find a way out, you can do with me whatever you want," Steven murmured, his voice low and husky.
    It woke a sudden pulse of need deep within Cleo. She remembered his strong body moving atop her, his deep voice groaning with pleasure.